Episode #160: Visa Requirements for Mexican Citizens: A Step Back
The federal government is reimposing visa requirements on Mexican nationals visiting Canada, with new rules that started taking effect on February 29. In this episode of Borderless Voices, FCJ Refugee Centre’s Executive Director, Loly Rico, talks about the context of this measure, why it is being adopted now, the impact it will have on the most vulnerable people, and the position of the FCJ Refugee Centre about it.
Transcript:
Welcome to a brand new episode of the Borderless Voices podcast, presented by the FCJ Refugee Centre.
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The federal government is reimposing visa requirements on Mexican nationals visiting Canada, with new rules that started taking effect this February 29th.
According to a press release by the Government of Canada, Mexican citizens who hold a valid U.S. non immigrant visa or have held a Canadian visa in the past 10 years and are traveling by air on a Mexican passport, will be able to apply for an electronic travel authorization, but those who don’t meet these conditions will need to apply for a Canadian visitor visa.
Until now, Mexicans didn’t need a visa to travel to Canada, but they do have to obtain visas to enter the U. S. This new visa requirement is expected to affect about 40 percent of all Mexican travelers to Canada, according to government sources.
More than 25,000 Mexicans applied for asylum in Canada last year, making Mexico the top source of asylum claims, according to statistics from the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada. With us today is Loli Rico, Executive Director of the FCJ Refugee Centre, to talk about this new requirement.
Hi, Loly, how are you?
Not bad, and you?
I’m good, thank you… So why is this happening now? Why do you think they implemented this new requirement now?
Okay, there is a history in imposition of visas. The Harper government imposed visa to Mexicans because they were seeing an influx of people looking for protection.
The situation in Mexico, the violence that is happening in Mexico, is not just happening. There is a history of 10, 15 years where there have been a lot of violence there. And also there are studies saying that in Mexico right now there is a fight between narco traffickers among themselves.
And who is the most impacted when that happened? It’s the people in the community, the most vulnerable. In 2016, when the Liberal government came to power, Justin Trudeau opened the removed the visas and brings what is the Electronic Travel Authorization. People were coming, still looking for protection. The numbers were not that that high. But now they are becoming higher, the numbers, because the situation, the security and the safety in Mexico is getting worse.
And even we have been seeing situations where migrant workers that have been appearing in the news, they have been crossing from Mexico, and they have been appearing dead. Again, the most vulnerable people is the one that is impacted, and now the new situation is that there are people trying to cross the border from Canada to the United States.
And United States start saying to Canada, well, “there are too many Mexicans coming here, through Canada”. Which is… The numbers are very low, if we can put it in comparison with the southern border.
And also, there is a situation where they impose the visa now, because there is a political reason in, in Canada.
Elections are coming next year, and the province of Quebec have been pushing to stop the arrival of refugee claimants. And also the Quebec government right now has a very anti immigrant position.
They pushed to close Roxham Road, and the way that they are doing is asking for more money to the federal government. And now, again, they are pushing because they are complaining that too many Mexicans are arriving at their airport, and they are asking for more money to the government and that’s what the imposition of visa came.
And what do you think the impact of all this is going to be, and also what’s the position of the FCJ Refugee Centre about it?
As the FCJ we are disappointed with this decision from the government, because they know what is the the situation, the safety situation in Mexico. They know that is not only resorts, a place where you can go and have your vacations there. Also, because in the last ten years there have been Canadians that have been killed in Mexico.
And, in that way, we are disappointed because what they are leaving again outside, unable to come, are the most vulnerable. There are some women fleeing trafficking situations, women fleeing domestic violence, single mothers with children… They will be the most impacted. And we know what is all the situation in Mexico with the femicides.
Thast’s an example [of how] they will be the most vulnerable the ones that will be left out, that they cannot come.
Also, every time that a country impose visas, for countries from the Global South is making impact, not just with gender persecution, but also people who doesn’t have enough resources.
And even now, we have more information, how will be the issue of the visa: either you have a visa to go to the United States, and they will approve the new Electronic Travel Authorization… You need to have… You need to prove that you have been having visa in the last 10 years. And who are the people that can do that?
These people who are well economically, because they can come to Canada for holidays, or they go to Europe for holidays, or they can go to the United States for holidays. Because the people who has visa in the United States are people that they have been proving that they are economically well, and they won’t stay in the United States.
What is going to make the impact is that we’ll reduce the number at this moment, but you will start seeing that people will come irregularly, in a regular basis, and one of the challenges is that they will be on the hands of the smugglers. They will have to cross all the way to the United States or they will come on the plane but will be under control of these smugglers.
And that is going to make a bigger impact and put at risk the people that they need to flee persecution.
And what about Canada’s international obligations?
Well, Canada has an obligation, because it’s a signatory country of the United Nations Refugee Convention, and one of the challenges is that they are really breaking [their obligations as a] signatory country at the moment, with the mposed visa.
They are trying to really avoid that people can come and make a refugee claim. And that’s something that we are concerned about, because Mexico is one that they are putting, but we are seeing that other countries, they will start imposing visas, that already they removed it, and it’s people that they don’t have other ways to come.
Well, thank you very much, Loly. Thank you for being with us in our podcast today.
Thank you.
Bye.
Bye.
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