Canada plans to bring back visa rules for Mexicans to slow down the number of asylum seekers flying in.
This move, announced to start on Thursday, aims to tackle the surge at airports, as reported by Bloomberg.
Students from Mexico and temporary workers won’t need to meet these new visa rules.
Also, Mexicans who got a visa in the last decade under the old rules don’t have to apply again.
Christine Frechette, Quebec’s immigration minister, supports this move. She highlighted its significance for X.
Quebec has been pushing for stricter visa rules. They believe this will reduce the number of Mexicans coming in.
Last year, more than 25,000 Mexicans sought asylum in Canada.
This made Mexico the leading country for asylum requests, says the Canadian Immigration and Refugee Council.
The U.S. has asked Canada to put the visa requirement back. This is to decrease illegal entries from Canada to the U.S.
In the first four months of this fiscal year, officials caught about 2,000 Mexicans at the Canada-U.S. border.
Around 40% of Mexican travelers to Canada will face these new visa rules, a government source shared with Radio-Canada.
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has criticized Canada’s go-it-alone approach to immigration.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper first set the visa requirement in 2009 to manage asylum claims.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau removed it in 2016 to boost trade between Canada and Mexico.
This step matters because it shows Canada’s attempt to control asylum claims and its impact on international relations, especially with the U.S. and Mexico.
It reflects a balance between managing immigration and maintaining diplomatic ties.