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Jul. 15th, 2009 12:01 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
theducksThose of you who know me may know I get a lot of delight over reading visa regulations. Everyone needs a hobby, ok? Today's rant comes courtesy of Canada - http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2009/07/15/czech-krpac-visa015.html
The basic rant is that the Government of Canada feels too many people from Mexico and the Czech Republic are coming to Canada as tourists, then subsequently claiming refugee status, mostly without due cause. They have changed regulations, as of yesterday, so that residents of those two countries now require visas to visit Canada as tourists.
Let's start with Mexico. According to pundits, 266,000 Mexicans visited Canada in 2008, and 9,400 of them claimed refugee status (which made up 24% of claimants), of which only 11% were approved. I don't think I can really blame them for getting a little pissed about that level.
Let's Czech out the republic. FTA, 30,000 visitors last year. 3,000 applied for refugee status. Again, that's a lot more than I'd like to see too. For its part, the Czech Republic is now requiring Canadian diplomatic, official and business visitors get visas. But you see, it's also part of the EU and fully implemented member of the Schengen treaty. So they're now petitioning that all Canadians visiting Europe be required to get visas. I doubt it will happen, but it's a bit of a backfire for Canada. But I can't really judge them on it. I think at 10% of visitors claiming refugee status, I'd start complaining too.
The basic rant is that the Government of Canada feels too many people from Mexico and the Czech Republic are coming to Canada as tourists, then subsequently claiming refugee status, mostly without due cause. They have changed regulations, as of yesterday, so that residents of those two countries now require visas to visit Canada as tourists.
Let's start with Mexico. According to pundits, 266,000 Mexicans visited Canada in 2008, and 9,400 of them claimed refugee status (which made up 24% of claimants), of which only 11% were approved. I don't think I can really blame them for getting a little pissed about that level.
Let's Czech out the republic. FTA, 30,000 visitors last year. 3,000 applied for refugee status. Again, that's a lot more than I'd like to see too. For its part, the Czech Republic is now requiring Canadian diplomatic, official and business visitors get visas. But you see, it's also part of the EU and fully implemented member of the Schengen treaty. So they're now petitioning that all Canadians visiting Europe be required to get visas. I doubt it will happen, but it's a bit of a backfire for Canada. But I can't really judge them on it. I think at 10% of visitors claiming refugee status, I'd start complaining too.
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(no subject)
Date: 2009-07-16 12:56 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-07-16 02:08 pm (UTC)