Mexico to impose visa requirement on Venezuelans to stem migration

MEXICO CITY, Dec 17 (Reuters) – Mexico will impose visa necessities on Venezuelan guests, the inside ministry mentioned on Friday, because the nation makes an attempt to stem a steep rise within the variety of folks from the South American nation attempting to enter the US illegally.

The ministry mentioned in a doc printed on-line that it had detected a “substantial enhance” in Venezuelans coming into Mexico to achieve a 3rd nation, as nicely giving false declarations on their motives for arrival.

Venezuelans, lots of whom have been departing their homeland because of the sustained financial turmoil the nation has confronted, don’t presently want a visa to enter Mexico as vacationers.

Reuters final month reported that Mexico was contemplating steps to impose tougher entry requirements on Venezuelans, partly in response to requests from the US, which is coping with document numbers of migrants at its southern border.

“The rising development within the migratory stream of (Venezuelan) nationals … in irregular transit to a 3rd nation stands out, marking a rise of greater than 1,000% in comparison with the identical interval within the earlier 5 years,” the ministry mentioned.

The last word vacation spot of the overwhelming majority of migrants passing by way of Mexico is the US.

The U.S. authorities has urged Mexico to assist it scale back the stream of unlawful immigration throughout the U.S.-Mexico border, which has created a significant problem for President Joe Biden.

The visa requirement on Venezuelans follows the same transfer by Mexico on Brazilian nationals. In September, Mexico suspended visa exemptions for Ecuadorians for six months following a soar in that nation’s nationals heading to the U.S. border.

The ministry mentioned the visa requirement would take impact 15 days after the notification was printed within the authorities’s official gazette, a step which continues to be pending.

Reporting by Dave Graham; Enhancing by Sonya Hepinstall and Leslie Adler

Our Requirements: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.