July 15, 2009

(Name of your MP)
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6
Dear (insert name of MP),

I am writing to express my concern about the new visa requirements for Mexican nationals entering Canada.

I have read the statement of the Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister, Jason Kenney, on the rationale behind this decision. I agree with the Minister in that the abuse of the refugee system by some Mexican nationals is unacceptable. But requiring a visa for all Mexican visitors is a poor solution to this problem, and its sudden execution was blunt and disruptive.

First, it is a poor solution. Though it is sure to reduce the total number of Mexican visitors to Canada significantly (currently they are the fourth largest group of tourists to this country), the great majority of them enter Canada with lawful, honest intentions, and do not extend their stay. The visa requirement will not stop those that want to abuse the system and file a refugee claim: the Canadian Embassy in Mexico is unlikely to be able to filter them out through an examination of their paperwork. Instead, the visa will reduce the number of abusive refugee claims simply by greatly reducing the total number of visitors to Canada; a losing proposition to all the lawful parties involved.

Second, the solution was poorly executed. It was announced and implemented on an extremely short notice, disrupting or cancelling the plans of thousands of families and business people. It evidently caught the Canadian Embassy in Mexico unprepared and unable to handle the sudden influx of over a thousand visa applications per day. Furthermore, the new procedure is expensive and the required paperwork is excessive and intrusive. It is a significant departure from the friendly and prosperous relations that Canada and Mexico have had until now.

I urge you and your fellow MPs to give serious consideration to this matter. I propose that the decision to require visas from Mexican nationals be reconsidered, and that the refugee claims abuse be dealt with sensibly, at the level of the Immigration and Refugee Board, not with a broad stroke that will affect hundreds of thousands of legal visitors, their Canadian families and friends, Canadian businesses, and the diplomatic relations between Canada and one of its most important strategic partners.

Sincerely,