More Mexican nationals attempted to enter Canada in the first 67 days of 2017 than in any of the three previous years, according to a report published Friday evening.
The Canada Border Services Agency detained 444 Mexicans from Jan. 1 to March 8. In 2016, the country detained a total of 410 people, while in 2015 that number was 351 and in 2014 it was 399.
The dramatic upshift comes after Canada’s federal government rescinded its requirement that Mexican citizens have a visa to enter the country. Now, any Mexican citizen who wishes to enter Canada can apply for an Electronic Travel Authorization, which is attainable online. Canada issued more than 72,000 of these authorizations to Mexicans from Dec. 1 to March 10.
The number of Mexicans who were apprehended at airports while trying to enter Canada in January also surpassed the total number of those taken into custody during each year from 2012 to 2014.
While it’s unclear why Mexicans in the U.S. were passing over the U.S. and to its northern neighbor, it could be due to President Trump’s executive actions in January, which called for a crackdown on illegal aliens, including deportation of all who have committed crimes while illegally residing in the country.
“It would be premature to draw conclusions or to speculate on future policy at this point,” Camielle Edwards, spokeswoman for Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Minister, told Reuters on Friday.
The 444 Mexicans who Canadian law enforcement officers detained were held because they either pose a danger to the public, their identity could not be confirmed, or they are not trusted to show up for removal and court proceedings.
