Amnesty International on Wednesday urged Mexico to take urgent action to halt the abuse of Central American migrants, warning the situation had escalated into a "human rights crisis."

A new report by the rights group - "Invisible Victims: Migrants on the Move in Mexico" - documents the abuse faced by the migrants as they attempt to reach the United States illegally by passing through Mexico.

They faced kidnapping, rape and murder - sometimes with the aid of public officials - and an estimated 60 percent of migrant women and girls experienced sexual violence, warned the rights group.

"Migrants in Mexico are facing a major human rights crisis leaving them with virtually no access to justice," said Rupert Knox, Mexico researcher at Amnesty. "Persistent failure by the authorities to tackle abuses carried out against irregular migrants has made their journey through Mexico one of the most dangerous in the world."

Almost half interviewed said public officials were involved in their abduction, the rights group said. The report calls for immediate action to ensure migrants' access to complaint mechanisms regardless of their status and ensure effective investigations.