MONTREAL (AP) Pedro Meraz says living in Colima, Mexico, was like living in a war zone, with shootings, burning cars and dismembered bodies being left outside of schools. When his wife Rocio Gonzalez, a 28-year-old lawyer who worked with abused women, began receiving death threats from a cartel and the local authorities ignored her pleas for assistance, they knew they had to leave.
There has been a surge in the number of Mexicans seeking asylum in Canada this year. The reasons for the big jump include the relative ease for Mexicans to obtain
Since the Canadian government lifted the visa requirement in 2016, many asylum seekers from Mexico have been fleeing to the northern country. Mexicans also see Canada as a safe option.
Fleeing violence at home, thousands of Mexican asylum seekers are migrating to Canada, home to relatively refugee-friendly policies. Migrants and experts attribute the influx to direct flights and the country’s safety compared to the U.S.