Canadian ambassador: visas for Czechs to remain for time being

The new Canadian ambassador to Prague, Valerie Raymond, has said that although Canada remains committed to re-establishing visa-free relations with the Czech Republic, it will not be lifting its visa requirement for Czechs for the time being. The ambassador confirmed Canada’s position in an interview for the Czech news agency ČTK. She stressed that what was important for visa-free relations, was to avoid situations in the future where the country was again hit by large numbers of asylum claims. Such a wave from the Czech Republic led to the current visa reinstatement in July. The ambassador also indicated that Canada was looking into the efficiency of its own asylum system. Czech politicians wanted Canada to conclude a treaty on safe countries of origin which would all but preclude the granting of asylum to Czech citizens. But the ambassador said that Canadian legislation did not allow for such an agreement, pointing out that under its own laws Canada had a legal obligation to hear every refugee claim on its individual merits.

Author: Jan Velinger