Two Mexican migrants illegally crossing the border from Canada to the United States had to be rescued after getting lost in a swamp in -19 Celsius weather.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection in New York State began a search when a border patrol found footprints in the snow leading from the Canadian side of the border.

After a two-hour search agents found the pair three-quarters of a mile from the border. Both lacked proper clothing for their illegal crossing.

The other was identified as a man who had tried to cross into Texas from Mexico a year ago — he has been charged with illegal re-entry.

After the Canadian government removed visa requirements for Mexican nationals in 2016, the number of Mexicans Claiming asylum has skyrocketed.

Mexican asylum claimants in Canada  rose almost 75% last year from the previous year’s , or 840% from 2016’s total.

This isn’t the first time Mexicans have flown to Canada prior to attempting to illegally enter the U.S.

In 2018, in an area called the Swanton sector, which covers a part of New York State, Vermont and New Hampshire, 121 people were apprehended in the U.S. for crossing illegally from Canada in June, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which oversees the USBP.

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Although border officials in both Canada and the U.S. work closely together, the RCMP says it can’t do anything to stop Mexicans from illegally entering the U.S. because it is not illegal for them to come into Canada in the first place.

In July 2016, the Trudeau government removed the visitor visa for Mexicans travelling to Canada.

A visa requirement was imposed by the Harper government back in 2009 to end a surge of Mexicans claiming refugee status.

Prior to the Harper government’s policy that made it mandatory for Mexicans travelling to Canada to get a travel visa, only a small fraction of the thousands of Mexicans asking for refugee status were deemed by the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada to be legitimate claimants.

In 2008, for instance, Mexico comprised 26% of all asylum claims in Canada. About 90% of those claims were eventually either rejected or abandoned.

The Trudeau government’s decision to remove the visa requirement for Mexican visitors has not only affected Canada, but also our neighbours to the south.

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