Mexican officials detain group of migrants at capital bus terminal

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexican migration authorities said on Monday they had rounded up 246 migrants from around a major bus terminal in the north of the capital city, including more than 50 children who have been placed under the guardianship of social services.

Mexico has seen a surge of people seeking to cross the country en route to the U.S. border, with a record number of migrants apprehended by U.S. authorities over the past year, many fleeing desperate economic conditions or violence in their home countries.

In a statement, Mexico's migration agency INM said the latest group of migrants were gathered around the bus terminal's "benches, sidewalks, open spaces and corridors."

Hailing from Central America, Venezuela and Haiti, the migrants were detained during migration checks carried out from last Friday through Sunday at the request of local authorities, according to the INM.

While adults were transferred to immigration offices, family groups have been put under the guardianship of the children and family welfare services.

Buses from the bustling terminal depart constantly for destinations north of Mexico City, including border cities like Tijuana and Ciudad Juarez.

Record numbers of migrants have also crossed the perilous Darien jungle that separates Panama from the South American continent this year, with most heading to the United States in search of better opportunities.

Looking to stem arrivals at the U.S-Mexico border, the United States, which in mid-October resumed direct deportation flights to Venezuela, has said it could provide development financing for countries in the Americas that are hosting migrants.

(Reporting by Sarah Morland; Editing by David Alire Garcia and Paul Simao)