Canada announced on Thursday the immediate reinstatement of visas for Mexican nationals due to a recent surge in asylum claims from Mexico.
“Mexican citizens will now need a visa to travel to Canada,” stated Immigration Minister Marc Miller during a news briefing, citing the necessity to uphold “the sustainability” of Canada’s immigration and refugee system.
Exceptions will apply, he clarified. Mexican citizens traveling to Canada can apply for a straightforward electronic travel authorization if they have held a Canadian visa in the past decade or possess a valid visa for the United States.
Immigration statistics revealed that Mexicans accounted for 17 percent of all refugee claims in Canada in 2023 — a significant increase from just 260 claims in 2016 when the previous visa requirement was lifted, rising to nearly 24,000 last year. The majority of recent claims were either rejected or withdrawn by the applicants.
Miller highlighted that some Mexican nationals have been “traveling through Canada and then heading to the US.” However, he emphasized that these numbers are much lower compared to the influx of migrants at the United States’ southern border.
Canadian visa requirements for Mexicans were initially imposed by a previous conservative government in 2009 to address a similar surge at the time. However, the measure was rescinded in 2016 by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s liberal administration.
Recently, Quebec province conveyed its concerns to Trudeau through a letter, citing that the situation had become untenable and urged measures to mitigate the migrant flow.
Miller acknowledged that the Mexican government has already expressed discontent with the new visa requirement.
“We value our strong ties with Mexico,” he affirmed. “Mexico is and will remain a significant partner.”
