OTTAWA – Canada is taking steps to dam the flood of asylum seekers entering from Mexico and the Czech Republic by slapping visa restrictions on travellers from those countries, Immigration Minister Jason Kenney has announced.

The move is aimed at what the federal government believes are thousands of bogus refugee claimants who have attempted to move to Canada from the two countries in recent years.

But the announcement was swiftly decried by both nations.

The Mexican embassy in Ottawa said in a news release that it "regrets" the decision, warning it will monitor implementation of the measure "in the interest of seeing that it be done efficiently and with respect for the rights of Mexicans."

A reimposed visa will affect business between Canada and the Czech Republic "seriously and significantly," warned Richard Krpac, consul general of the Czech Republic in Toronto.

The new rules take effect today. But for today and tomorrow only, travellers from the two countries will be able to apply for a visa upon entering Canada.

In 2008 alone, 9,400 Mexicans applied for asylum in Canada, triple the number in 2005. Those claims represent 25 per cent of all the refugee applications received last year in Canada. But only 11 per cent of the 9,400 claims were accepted.

Claimants from the Czech Republic have largely been from the Roma minority – often referred to by the derogatory term "gypsies" – who human rights groups say face discrimination.

Since Canada lifted visa requirements for visitors from the country in 2007 to reflect its membership in the European Union, roughly 3,000 people have made refugee claims. In 2006, there were five claimants.

"The sheer volume of these claims is undermining our ability to help people fleeing real persecution," Kenney said in a statement.

But Toronto immigration lawyer Max Berger warns the imposition of visas will shut the door "against genuine refugee claims."

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