Canada has announced that it will require visas for Mexican nationals to enter the country. This decision comes after a surge in asylum requests from Mexicans arriving in Canada. The rule follows discussions between the two countries over the increase in the number of Mexicans entering Canada. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has repeatedly tried to address the issue with Mexico’s president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
Some provincial officials say that the surge of asylum seekers has strained their resources and their ability to provide social services. Canada’s immigration minister, Marc Miller, stated that the visa mandate, which will go into effect Thursday night, had been lifted by Mr. Trudeau in 2016 to boost tourism and as a sign of the close ties between the two countries. However, since then, the number of Mexican asylum claims has soared.
Most asylum claims from Mexico are rejected, withdrawn, or abandoned, clogging up an immigration system already facing difficulties trying to cope with a mounting backlog of refugee claims. For some Mexicans who can afford plane tickets, flying to Canada has become an alternate route to the United States, allowing them to avoid the smugglers who control the paths to the U.S. southern border.
U.S. immigration officials have recorded a large increase in the number of migrants, including Mexicans, crossing into the United States from Canada. Immigration has become a major issue in the United States ahead of the November election, and the Biden administration has made the tightening of the country’s borders a top political priority.
Mr. López Obrador told reporters on Thursday that his government respected Canada’s decision, but said that Canada could have sought “other alternatives,” without offering specifics. Not all Mexicans will be required to have a visa to travel to Canada. The rule excludes Mexicans who have had a Canadian visa within the past 10 years, or if they currently have a temporary U.S. visa. Travelers in this category need an electronic travel authorization. For more information, you can visit www.nytimes.com.
