Mexico’s Calderon will have a tough fight getting rid of visas

President will use Canadian trip to lobby for easier entry for his compatriots

Published on Wednesday, May. 26, 2010 8:23PM EDT

Last updated on Thursday, May. 27, 2010 6:51AM EDT


.Mexico’s President wants something from us. He wants his citizens to get a smoother ride through our thick, troublesome border.

Felipe Calderon’s trip to Canada this week will unavoidably focus on an issue that has annoyed his government for a year: requiring Mexicans to get visitors’ visas before travelling to Canada.

The Harper government will reassure him that soon, in a year or two, those visas won’t be needed. By then, they say, Canada will have reformed its refugee system, so Ottawa won’t have to worry about a flood of Mexican asylum-seekers. It’s a promise they might not be able to keep.

Mr. Calderon will be lobbying Ottawa to declare Mexico “safeâ€