Canada reinstates visa requirement for Mexican citizens amid asylum crisis
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
A view of the Rainbow Bridge border crossing in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada in November 2023. Photo: Mert Alper Dervis/Anadolu via Getty Images
Canada will reinstate a visa requirement for Mexican citizens on Thursday, the same day President Biden and former President Trump, 2024 presidential frontrunners, traveled to Texas to discuss their immigration policies.
Why it matters: While the U.S. also handles a border crisis with Mexico, the move in Canada is intended to address an influx of asylum seekers into the country.
What they're saying: "This responds to an increase in asylum claims made by Mexican citizens that are refused, withdrawn or abandoned," Canadian government representatives said in a statement.
- "It is an important step to preserve mobility for hundreds of thousands of Mexican citizens, while also ensuring the sound management of our immigration and asylum systems."
What's next: The new rules go into effect on Thursday night.
- Mexican citizens with a valid U.S. non-immigrant visa or who have held a Canadian visa in the past decade can apply for an electronic travel authorization if traveling by air with a Mexican passport.
- People who don't meet those conditions will have to apply for a Canadian visitor visa.
- The application process for Mexican citizens seeking a work or study permit will not change.
By the numbers: Asylum claims made by Mexican citizens reached a record high in 2023, at nearly 24,000 claims.
- This figure rose from 260 in 2016 when the visa requirement was lifted.
- Last year, about 60% of claims were rejected by the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada or withdrawn or abandoned by the applicant.
- Mexican citizens made up about 17% of all asylum claims made in 2023 in Canada.
State of play: The Biden administration asked Canada to reimpose visa requirements for Mexican nationals, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reported last year.
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported a spike in illegal crossings through Canada.
- 191.603 encounters with people crossing into the U.S. along the northern border were reported in 2023, marking a 41% increase from the year before, the New York Times reported.
Yes, but: The situation along the U.S.-Canada border pales in comparison to that of the U.S.-Mexico border, where more than 2 million people were apprehended in 2023.
- The issue of immigration has become a top worry of Americans ahead of the 2024 presidential election.
- The migrants in the South are part of a humanitarian crisis with unprecedented migration in the Western Hemisphere.
Go deeper:
