Calderon in Canada—Guess What He Talks About?
05/29/2010
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Mexican president Felipe Calderon, who recently meddled in U.S. immigration policy in the halls of the U.S. Congress, went to Canada. And guess what he did there? Calderon gave a speech to the Canadian Parliament, asking Canada to drop the visa requirement for Mexican visitors.

Maybe Calderon could save time by just giving a speech in the United Nations, asking all member nations to give Mexicans free entrance to all their countries.

On the way to Canada, Calderon stopped in Massachusetts on May 26th, where he spoke at the graduation of his alma mater, Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Then it was on to Canada, where he spoke to the Canadian Parliament on May 27th, giving Canadian lawmakers advice on how to run their immigration policy. Why not? It works in the U.S., why not try it in Canada also?

According to Reuters Canada:

Mexican President Felipe Calderon on Thursday urged Canada to drop a year-old rule that forces all Mexican visitors to obtain visas, a requirement that has become an irritant in relations between the Nafta partners. Canada's Conservative government introduced the visa requirement in July last year to stem what it said was a wave of bogus refugee claims.

Notice the next part, and see if it sounds familiar:

"We deeply respect Canada's right to make decisions about its immigration system. However, I must share with you our regret for this series of events and decisions," Calderon said in an address to the Canadian Parliament, winning applause from some opposition lawmakers.

Just like in the U.S. Congress, lawmakers applauding a foreign meddler. In Canada the applauders were of the opposition, in the U.S. of the government party.

The article also reports that

Prime Minister Stephen Harper said a first step to resolve the dispute was a special program, announced last month, to facilitate visas for Mexican business travelers. Harper also said a proposed overhaul of Canada's refugee law, now before the House of Commons, aims to solve the problem by making it easier to deport false claimants.

Calderon Urges Canada to Lift Visa Rule Reuters Canada, May 27th , 2010

Canadian Prime Minister Harper, however, wasn't a pushover. I guess Canadian PMs have not yet been properly trained by Mexico to obey on command like U.S. presidents. Here's how it was reported in the Mexican media :

President Felipe Calderon advocated before the Parliament that the Canadian government eliminate the visa for Mexicans. Nevertheless, Prime Minister Stephen Harper did not establish a date to review the subject. In the joint press conference, the Canadian Prime Minister explained that the measure is a control mechanism because there have been too many false petitions [for refugee status]. Harper revealed that

¨"I have said to the president [Calderon] that this is not an ideal solution but we have to create other tools to control the false applications for refugee status."[Canad?? le niega a Calder??n dar reversa en visas El Universal, May 28th, 2010]

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