The Canadian government is reimposing some visa requirements for Mexicans visiting Canada, officials familiar with the matter told The Associated Press on Wednesday.
Quebec’s premier has called on the federal government to slow the influx of refugees, saying it is straining financial resources.
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The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak ahead of Thursday’s announcement. The official said the new rules, which take effect later on Thursday, do not mean a complete return to pre-2016 rules. Canada’s immigration minister is expected to announce further details.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government removed visa requirements for Mexican visitors in late 2016, removing a major hurdle in relations between the two countries.
But Canada’s Immigration Minister Mac Miller said there has been a surge in asylum applications from Mexico since Canada lifted visa restrictions in 2016. Canada’s elimination of visa-free travel from Mexico is expected to reduce the number of Mexicans illegally entering the United States from Canada.
In 2023, the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada received 17,490 applications from Mexico, accounting for 19% of the applications filed that year. A year ago, the number was 7,483, accounting for 12% of insurance claims.
Refugee service providers in Montreal previously said Mexican families were fleeing violence, insecurity and a lack of jobs in Mexico.
Canada only grants asylum to people it deems unable to live safely in any part of their home country because authorities are unable or unwilling to provide conditions.
A Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer informs an immigrant couple of the location of a legal border station just before they illegally enter St. Bernard-de-Lacolle, Quebec, from Champlain, New York, on Wroxham Road. The Canadian government is reimposing some visa requirements for Mexicans visiting Canada, an official familiar with the matter told The Associated Press on Wednesday. Quebec’s premier has called on the federal government to slow the influx of refugees, and says it has done that. It’s putting a strain on resources. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador answered a reporter’s question about possible U.S. tariffs on Mexican steel exports during his daily press conference Wednesday morning, rambling about the lack of respect from northern Mexico. When it initiated the complaint, Canada indicated it intended to announce action. American neighbors.
The president said conservative forces in Mexico are lobbying in the United States and Canada for actions that would harm his administration. He cited U.S. complaints about fentanyl production in Mexico and claims by both the U.S. and Canada that Mexico is not doing its part to curb the flow of migrants.
López Obrador scoffed, saying, “Mexico is to blame for the immigration problem.” “‘We’re going to build a wall and that’s how we solve the problem. We’re going to militarize the border and that’s how we solve the problem.'”
“And now Canada is doing the same thing and is taking action against Mexico. We really regret that,” López Obrador said. “They are negotiating to reach an agreement that will allow us to control the flow of immigrants into Canada as we have always done, and we have acted generously towards them under Prime Minister Trudeau’s government. , they were already at the stage of imposing coercive policies “unilateral measures at a time when elections are being held in Mexico. ”
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López Obrador also raised the possibility of not attending the North American summit scheduled for April in Quebec. “If I’m not treated with respect, I won’t participate,” he said.
