Crossing borders in North America has become increasingly difficult in recent years, despite the promises of NAFTA and the Security and Prosperity Partnership. On March 1, 2010 Mexico furthered these restrictions by increasing its entry requirements on Canadians and Americans.  Citizens from either of these countries will now have to present their passports when entering Mexico for periods longer than 72 hours. While most visitors already bring their passports, as they are required to show them upon re-entering their respective countries, this new requirement by Mexican authorities reflects a larger trend in cross-border travel in North America.

In 2004, as part of an effort to increase security after the September 11 terrorist attacks, Congress passed the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act, part of which outlined the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI).  The WHTI came into effect June 1, 2009 and required that all Canadians, Mexicans and citizens of various Caribbean countries provide passports or other travel documents to enter the United States.  Driver's Licences, Birth Certificates and other domestic identification were no longer acceptable.

Six weeks after the institution of these requirements by the US, Canada slapped a visa restriction on Mexicans entering Canada. The Canadian government declared that effective July 14, 2009, and with a mere one day notice, Mexicans and Czech citizens would need a visa to enter the country. Citizenship and Immigration Canada stated in a press release that "refugee claims from Mexico have almost tripled since 2005, making it the number one source country for claims," and that this increase was creating a serious backlog in the refugee program.  Minister Jason Kenney argued in favour of the visa, stating "the visa requirement I am announcing will give us a greater ability to manage the flow of people into Canada and verify bona fides. By taking this important step towards reducing the burden on our refugee system, we will be better equipped to process genuine refugee claims faster." A similar claim was made regarding citizens of the Czech Republic.

The Canadian restrictions have led to a rapid decline in Mexican tourism, with Statistics Canada reporting a 63.3 percent decline in Mexican nationals entering the country.  Tourist visits from Mexico amounted to almost 200 000 last year, with 89 000 Mexican citizens heading to Vancouver alone. The decline in visits has been a blow to a number of tourism operators in Canada. Of disturbing news for those advocating closer economic and political integration between the two nations was a Toronto Star/Angus Reid poll done at the time, which found that 69 percent of Canadians favoured the visa restrictions and another 68 percent thought that Mexico was entitled to impose similar restrictions on Canadians.

The Mexican government was highly offended by Canada's surprising and unilateral decision, and Foreign Minister Patricia Espinosa noted, "we have made it absolutely clear that we are not in agreement" with the Canadian announcement.  In reaction, Mexico imposed visa controls on Canadian officials and diplomats in Mexico two days later, on July 16.

The new Mexican passport restrictions are more a symbolic gesture than anything else, as Canadian and American tourists will not be seriously affected by the measure. Canadians will be able to travel for up to 180 days in Mexico with a tourist card obtained from their flight provider or at their point of entry into Mexico.  This development does, however, mark a further thickening of the border between the NAFTA states and thus a limiting of legitimate interstate travel for North Americans.

Related

• From the PNA Library, 2008: "The Economic Impact of WHTI in Washington State (Revisited)"
  
• From the PNA Library, 2003: "Does "Smarter" Lead to Safer? An Assessment of the US Border Accords with Canada and Mexico"
  
• From the PNA Library, 2006: "Canada Changes the Tone on Passports"
  
• PNA Teaching Resource: The Next Plateau in North America: What's the Big Idea?
  

(Image Credit: Wikimedia User Ibagli)