Canada announced Thursday it would require visas for Mexican citizens to enter the country, a move that comes amid a surge in asylum claims from Mexicans arriving in the country.

The rule comes after months of discussions between the two countries over the increase in the number of Mexicans entering Canada, including repeated attempts by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to raise the issue with Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

Some provincial officials say the large number of asylum seekers has strained their resources and their ability to provide social services.

“We had to give Mexico, because of our friendship, the opportunity to make things right,” Canadian Immigration Minister Marc Miller said at a news conference.

“Clearly that hasn’t been done,” he added, “so we had to make a decision.”

The visa requirement, which will come into force Thursday evening, was removed by Trudeau in 2016 to stimulate tourism and as a sign of the close ties between the two countries.

Since then, the number of Mexican asylum applications has increased: last year, around 24,000 were registered, compared to 260 eight years ago. About 17 percent of all asylum applications in Canada last year were filed by Mexican citizens.

Most asylum applications from Mexico are rejected, withdrawn or abandoned, Miller said, overwhelming an immigration system that was already struggling to keep up with the growing backlog of asylum applications. “It has a domino effect,” he says.

For some Mexicans who can afford plane tickets, flying to Canada has become an alternative route to the United States, one that allows them to avoid the smugglers who control the routes to the southern border of the UNITED STATES.

U.S. immigration authorities have recorded a sharp increase in the number of migrants, including Mexicans, entering the country from Canada, although that number is far from the huge numbers at the southern border.

“But they are important,” Miller said. “And that’s something we need to manage as partners with the United States.”

Migration has become an important issue in the United States in the run-up to the November election, and Joe Biden's administration has made strengthening the country's borders a policy priority.

President Biden and Donald Trump, who will almost certainly be his Republican rival in the race for the White House, visited South Texas on Thursday to discuss immigration.

López Obrador told reporters Thursday that his government respected Canada's decision, but said Canada could have considered “other alternatives,” without providing concrete details.

He also launched a “little fraternal and respectful rebuke” to Trudeau, while affirming that his government’s response would be “to act with caution, with serenity”.

A visa will not be required for all Mexicans to travel to Canada. The rule excludes Mexicans who have had a Canadian visa within the last 10 years or if they currently have a temporary U.S. visa. Travelers in this category need an electronic travel authorization, valid for up to five years.

Canada's visa decision is the latest step in the country's efforts to respond to asylum claims submitted from regular points of entry, such as airports, and unofficial border crossings.

In January, Canadian authorities also imposed restrictions on international students, doubling the savings limit that new applicants must meet to obtain a study permit, after an increase sparked concerns about funding pressures. accommodation.

Last year, following an agreement with the United States, Canada closed a popular land border crossing between New York state and Quebec, called Roxham Road, due to increasing numbers of migrants who enter.

Some provincial leaders, including Quebec Premier François Legault, have criticized the federal government's response and say it should provide more financial assistance to cover the costs of absorbing thousands of migrants.

About half of Canada's 290,000 asylum seekers are in Quebec, the province's immigration minister said, and Quebec is asking the government for C$1 billion in aid.

Emiliano Rodriguez Mega collaborated with reporting from Mexico City.

Vjosa Isai is a reporter and researcher for The Times, based in Toronto, where she covers news from across Canada. Plus de : Vjosa Isai