Fears mount over visa rule changes: Human smuggling could climb due to Canada's reimposed Mexico visa requirement, some experts say.

The federal government of Canada has reintroduced a visa requirement for Mexicans traveling to Canada, which some experts believe could lead to an increase in human smuggling and irregular border crossings. Mexican nationals now need to obtain visitor visas to determine if they are likely to apply for refugee status. In 2023, 25,236 Mexicans applied for refugee status in Canada, the highest number from any country. The new visa requirement may also pose an additional risk of human smuggling from Mexico to Canada. However, there are differing opinions on whether the visa requirement will actually reduce human smuggling, with some arguing that Mexicans are using Canada as a back door to enter the US. The flow of Mexican migration is primarily to the US, and the Safe Third Country Agreement makes Canada inhospitable to Mexicans who cross the border irregularly. It is important to distinguish between human smuggling and human trafficking, as they are different phenomena. Human smuggling refers to providing a route for people to enter a country, while human trafficking involves forcing people into a country and making them work to pay off debt. There is currently little evidence of human trafficking in Canada's labor force. [Extracted from the article]