President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has calmly taken the Government of Canada's officialization of once again requesting visas from Mexican citizens who wish to enter the country, starting the night of this February 29, and that, he assures, only It will affect 40% of compatriots.
However, he has claimed that other measures could be contemplated to resolve what Canadian authorities have determined due to the increase in asylum applications in recent months.
“If anything, [make] a small fraternal and respectful reproach to the Prime Minister [Justin Trudeau] because we helped them, and he knows it, so that it was accepted that Canada participated in the Free Trade Agreement, because President Trump did not want to” , he said in his morning conference this Thursday.
The president has received the news with relative calm and has taken the opportunity to point out that the Canadian Government could have opted for other types of measures: “It is good that they were moderated, in any case, we consider that other options, other alternatives could have been sought;
However, they made that decision and we respect what other governments decide.
“We are going to look for alternative options, we cannot break relations with Canada,” he said.
Starting at 11:30 p.m. Eastern Time on February 29, 2024, Mexican citizens will need a visa to enter Canada unless they meet certain criteria.
🧵⬇️ pic.twitter.com/ZHkgW9Wwk1
— Canada in Mexico (@EmbCanMexico) February 29, 2024
The Mexican Foreign Ministry has responded in a statement with information about the travel requirements that will come into force this Thursday at 10:30 p.m. - central Mexico time - and concludes by saying that the country regrets the decision and considers that there were other options before reach the application of the measure.
“In recent weeks, Mexico sent two high-level missions to Canada to reiterate the importance of protecting people who are victims of fraud, trafficking, trafficking and disinformation schemes,” they point out.
“Starting February 29, 2024, Mexican citizens who have a valid US nonimmigrant visa or have had a Canadian visa in the last 10 years and travel by air with a Mexican passport will be able to apply for an electronic travel authorization” , points out the Government of Canada in a writing in which it has justified the measure with the argument of supporting travel and connections between both countries, and to preserve the integrity of its immigration system.
The application process for Mexican citizens seeking a work or study permit will not change.
Those who want to work in Canada will continue to have access to a wide number of existing employment pathways, including the Temporary Foreign Worker Program and the International Mobility Program.
Those who already have a visa for the United States will only need to process the Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA), the entry permit for short visits and tourism or business trips.
The ETA is a requirement for anyone entering that country, it costs seven Canadian dollars (120 Mexican pesos) and is valid for five years after issuance.
The Minister of Immigration of Canada, Marc Miller, has also confirmed his Government's disposition in a press conference: “Today at 11:30 pm Mexican citizens must apply for a visa to enter Canada or obtain an electronic travel authorization if They have a valid American non-immigrant visa or have had a Canadian visa in the last 10 years and are traveling by air with a Mexican passport.”
The Government of Mexico has clarified, through the Foreign Ministry, that it reserves the power to act in reciprocity with the measures of the Canadian Government.
📄 The Ministry of Foreign Affairs shares the following information:https://t.co/mUrJFnGtlr pic.twitter.com/T3OGsyV5Pj
— Foreign Affairs (@SRE_mx) February 29, 2024
More than 25,000 Mexicans requested asylum last year, according to official figures.
Less than 3,000 petitions have been approved, about 2,500 were rejected and another 28,000 are still pending and have not yet been released into Canada's foster care system.
In 2022 there were fewer than 7,500 applications from Mexicans, around a quarter of those requested a year later.
On hold, Mexico's participation in the North American summit
The officialization of Canada's visa requirement comes after López Obrador's position this Wednesday, when he threatened not to attend the next North American Leaders Summit, with Trudeau and the American Joe Biden, in response to investigations by the United States anti-narcotics agency into alleged links between drug traffickers and members of their inner circle.
“If there is not respectful treatment, I do not participate,” he said.
The diplomatic meeting is scheduled to be held in April in Quebec (Canada).
“It is going to be very difficult for there to be a summit, but not because of us, but because of the campaigns,” López Obrador added this Thursday, after the Canadian Government's announcement.
“There is no response on our part to affect relations, other than the way the political season is going, it is very difficult for a meeting to take place because there are also elections in the United States and I am also on my way out,” the president concluded.
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