Canada lifts visa rule for Mexicans

Ottawa : Canada on Thursday rescinded travel restrictions on Mexicans, which were imposed in 2009 in an attempt to stem bogus refugee claims but became a major irritant in bilateral relations.

The move comes as President-elect Donald Trump looks to restrict illegal entries from Mexico to the United States by building a massive border wall.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised in June to scrap the restrictions after government figures showed Mexican asylum bids had fallen from a peak in 2008, when Mexicans accounted for one in four refugee claims, to below one percent.

That goodwill announcement was made during a visit by Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto for an annual North American summit.

On Thursday, Ottawa said getting rid of the visa requirement will boost tourism, and business travel between the two countries.