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XINHUA

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) announced on Monday, May 22, that his administration plans to launch a program to provide temporary work visas to Central American migrants.

Mexico needs extra manpower for large-scale infrastructure projects such as a train route through the southeast Maya region, the president said at his daily press conference.

“We lack adequate manpower for the projects,” López Obrador told reporters at the National Palace in Mexico City.

“This week, I am going to present a program for our Central American brothers so that they can have temporary visas to work on public projects in Mexico, so that they can stay in our country legally,” he said.

Mexico is in particular need of welders and engineers, AMLO said.

Lopez Obrador’s administration, which came to power in December 2018, has sought to reduce the flow of undocumented migrants, mainly from Central America, who intend to traverse Mexico to reach the United States.

As the United States tightens immigration policy, many migrants find themselves languishing in Mexico.