More than 25 thousand Mexicans have asked for asylum in Canada in 2023

According to statistics from the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, more than 25,000 Mexicans filed asylum claims in Canada in 2023, making Mexico the top source of asylum claims.

The number of pending asylum applications filed by Mexicans with the Council currently stands at more than 28,000.

In accordance with CBCThe US government has also asked Ottawa to reinstate visa requirements to stem a surge in illegal border crossings from Canada to the United States.

Currently, Mexicans do not need a visa to travel to Canadabut yes, to enter the United States.

U.S. border authorities say some Americans are using Canada’s visa waiver to fly into the country and cross the border into the United States illegally.

President Andrés Manuel López Obrador on Tuesday acknowledged a rise in asylum applications from Mexicans in Canada but ruled out it being linked to organized crime, saying it was a problem that was being dealt with. Government, Justin Trudeau.

“The number of asylum claims is increasing and we need to see whether these are actually people who need asylum or whether they are a means of entry into Canada,” the president said during a morning news conference.

At the same time, the Mexican leader referred to a request made last January by the head of the Quebec government, Francois Legault, who asked the Canadian government to once again request entry visas from Mexicans in order to stop the flow of refugee applicants, amounting to more than 60 thousand people. in 2023.

This amount, Legault argued, was three times more per inhabitant than any other Canadian province, which is why he called the situation “intolerable.”