Mexico suspended this Friday the agreement with Brazil that eliminated the mutual visa requirement for tourism purposes. As of December 11, Brazilians who want to visit the country must present their Mexican visa. The new measure seeks to regulate migratory traffic to the United States because “a substantial increase” has been identified in Brazilians who enter Mexico for a purpose other than that allowed to visitors without permission to work, as the Ministry of the Interior has warned. (Segob).

“This decision is due to the increase in irregular flows [de migración] since in a regrettable way, criminal groups profit, based on deceit, from the interest of Brazilian nationals to migrate irregularly to the United States through Mexico ”, details a joint statement from Segob and the Ministry of Foreign Relations (SRE ). The new agreement has been published this Friday in the Official Gazette of the Federation and will enter into force within 15 days.

In the migration filters, the authorities have detected irregularities such as “the identification of people whose profile does not match that of the genuine visitor or tourist and have inconsistencies in their documentation or information”, which has strengthened “the possibility that a significant number of people who intend to use the visa suppression improperly ”, the document states.

The measure will contribute to the fight against illicit human trafficking networks, says the Government. “Faced with the challenge of safeguarding the human rights of migrants, Mexico decided to adopt this important decision, without prejudice to the legitimate exchange of flows of nationals from both countries for tourism, cultural and business purposes,” he explains. The measure does not have a defined validity, since the previous decree has only been temporarily suspended.

Brazilians traveling by land or sea must apply for the corresponding physical visa with the Mexican consular authorities, the agreement states. While those who enter the country by air, will be able to do so virtually. “The Mexican Government will grant immigration facilities to those who enter the country by air, by filling in a form known as Electronic Authorization in advance of the trip, which can be obtained free of charge on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and of the National Institute of Migration ”, indicates the document.

Those who have a document that proves their permanent residence in Canada, the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom or any of the countries that make up the Schengen Area or the Pacific Alliance will not need to present the form or the Mexican visa, he points out. Nor should those who have a valid and current visa from Canada, the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom or any of the countries that make up the Schengen Area have to submit higher requirements.

The Government has also reported that it works “in close coordination with the Brazilian authorities to promote regular and documented migration,” therefore it plans to hold bilateral consultations to assess the impact of this measure in a period of no more than six months. Safe, orderly and regular migration could allow “in due course, to reactivate the abolition of visa,” he says. The agreement between Mexico and Brazil for the suppression of visas in ordinary passports was signed on November 23, 2000 in the city of Brasilia and entered into force on February 7, 2004.

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