Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) said reinstating visas for air passengers from Mexico will save taxpayers $660 million per year, according to Blacklock’s Reporter. “Total benefits are estimated at $6.6 billion over 10 years,” said IRCC in a regulatory impact analysis statement. “Reduced asylum claims cost savings as well as a reduction of primary inspection line activities at Canadian ports of entry and inland enforcement savings.” Immigration Minister Marc Miller reintroduced the visa rule on February 29. “Measures had to be taken,” said Miller. A reporter asked if Miller regretted not doing it earlier. “We’ve been examining these measures for months,” he said. By bringing in the visas, the reporter asked if he was concerned about them impacting the Canadian government’s relationship with Mexico. “I absolutely have some concern,” he said. IRCC noted refugee claims by Mexican air passengers reached record levels after cabinet repealed the visa regulation eight years ago. Because of this change, it said it “has generated unsustainable migration challenges.”“Record levels of asylum intake have been received from Mexican nationals, reaching over 24,000 claims in 2023 or 18% of total asylum intake in Canada,” it said. However, it pointed out few claims were legitimate. “Most Mexican claims are made at airports on arrival — an indication that claiming asylum, not visiting, was the true purpose of travel,” it said. “The majority of Mexican claims are abandoned, withdrawn or rejected by the Immigration and Refugee Board.”It said the $660 million annual saving represented “reduction in security screening, processing of claims, investigations, hearings, detentions, litigation and removals of failed asylum claimants.” The Canadian government cited costs in imposing the visa requirement in 2009 when asylum claims reached 9,511 that year — less than half the 2023 number.Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre asked cabinet to reinstate visa requirements for Mexican visitors in January. READ MORE: Poilievre calls for visas for Mexican visitors“They must take action to fix it,” said Poilievre. Poilievre said cabinet should “reintroduce the visa requirement in order to prevent further abuse of the asylum system.”
