MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Mexico will impose visa requirements on Venezuelan visitors, the interior ministry said on Friday, as the country attempts to stem a jump in the number of people from the South American nation trying to enter the United States illegally.
Setting out its reasons, the ministry said in a document published online it had detected a “substantial increase” in Venezuelans entering Mexico for reasons other than tourism, pointing to “irregular transit to a third country.”
Reuters last month reported Mexico was considering steps to impose tougher entry requirements on Venezuelans, partly in response to requests from the United States, which is dealing with record numbers of migrants at its southern border.
The ministry said that the visa requirements would take effect 15 days after the notification was published in the government’s official gazette, a step which is still pending.
(Reporting by Dave Graham; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall)
