Canada reimposes visas for Mexicans following spike in asylum claims

02:13

Canada announced on February 29 the immediate reimposition of visas for visiting Mexican nationals in response to a recent jump in asylum claims from the country – a move decried by Mexico which is now considering reciprocal actions. Immigration data showed Mexicans made up 17 percent of all refugee claims in Canada in 2023. The number spiked from just 260 claims in 2016 when a previous visa requirement was lifted, to nearly 24,000 last year. Most of the recent claims were rejected or withdrawn by the applicants.