anonymaus
07-13-2009, 10:59 PM
Canada will impose visa requirements starting Tuesday for Mexican and Czech nationals -- the two top sources of refugee claims.
Immigration Minister Jason Kenney said the move was made because the majority of the claims are found to be unwarranted.
"In addition to creating significant delays and spiraling new costs in our refugee program the sheer volume of these claims is undermining our ability to help people fleeing real persecution," Kenney said in a news release."All too often, people who really need Canada's protection find themselves in a long line, waiting for months and sometimes years to have their claims heard. This is unacceptable."
Refugee claims from Mexico have tripled since 2005, the Immigration Department says, with more than 9,400 claims made in 2008.
Since the visa requirement on Czech nationals was lifted in 2007, claims have risen from a total of five in 2005 to about 3,000 in 2008.
A similar flood of applications took place when the visa requirement for Czechs was lifted in the 1990s before the rule was reinstated.
Many of the Czech's seeking asylum in Canada are of the country's Roma minority, who have a long history of persecution in Europe.
Kenney argues that many are using the refugee system instead of applying to immigrate to Canada through normal means.
Source (http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20090713/visa_immigration_090713/20090713?hub=TopStories)
Immigration Minister Jason Kenney said the move was made because the majority of the claims are found to be unwarranted.
"In addition to creating significant delays and spiraling new costs in our refugee program the sheer volume of these claims is undermining our ability to help people fleeing real persecution," Kenney said in a news release."All too often, people who really need Canada's protection find themselves in a long line, waiting for months and sometimes years to have their claims heard. This is unacceptable."
Refugee claims from Mexico have tripled since 2005, the Immigration Department says, with more than 9,400 claims made in 2008.
Since the visa requirement on Czech nationals was lifted in 2007, claims have risen from a total of five in 2005 to about 3,000 in 2008.
A similar flood of applications took place when the visa requirement for Czechs was lifted in the 1990s before the rule was reinstated.
Many of the Czech's seeking asylum in Canada are of the country's Roma minority, who have a long history of persecution in Europe.
Kenney argues that many are using the refugee system instead of applying to immigrate to Canada through normal means.
Source (http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20090713/visa_immigration_090713/20090713?hub=TopStories)