Canada announced Thursday it would require visas for Mexican citizens to enter the country, a move that comes amid a surge in asylum claims from Mexicans arriving in Canada. The rule follows months of discussions between the two countries regarding the growing number of Mexicans entering Canada, including repeated efforts by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to raise the issue with Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. Some provincial officials say the increase in asylum seekers has strained their resources and ability to provide social services. “We have to give Mexico, because of our friendship, a chance to work things out,” Canadian Immigration Minister Marc Miller told a news conference. “It’s clearly not done,” he added, “so we have to make a decision.” The visa mandate, which was due to come into effect on Thursday evening, was previously removed by Mr Trudeau in 2016 to boost tourism and as a sign of the two countries' close ties. Since then, the number of Mexican asylum applications has skyrocketed, from 260 eight years ago to about 24,000 last year. About 17 percent of all Canadian asylum applications last year were filed by Mexican nationals. Most asylum applications from Mexico are rejected, withdrawn or abandoned, Mr. Miller said, hampering an immigration system already facing difficulties processing the backlog of asylum applications. “It has a ripple effect,” he said. For some Mexicans who can afford plane tickets, flying to Canada has become an alternative route to the United States, allowing them to avoid smugglers who control passage to the southern U.S. border. U.S. immigration officials have noted a sharp increase in the number of migrants, including Mexicans, entering the United States from Canada, but not as many as the high numbers at the southern border. “But the figures are significant,” Mr. Meunier said. “And that’s something we need to manage as partners with the United States.” Immigration has become a major issue in the United States as the November election approaches, and the Biden administration has made strengthening the nation's borders a major policy priority. President Biden and Donald J. Trump, who will almost certainly be his Republican political opponents in the White House, are scheduled to appear in South Texas on Thursday to discuss migration. López Obrador told reporters Thursday that his government respected Canada's decision, but said Canada could seek “other alternatives” without providing details. He also issued a “small, respectful and fraternal reprimand” to Mr. Trudeau, although he said his government's response would be “to act with caution and calm.” Not all Mexican citizens will need a visa to travel to Canada. This rule does not include Mexican citizens who have had a Canadian visa within the last 10 years, or if they currently have a temporary visa in the United States. Travelers in this category need an electronic travel permit, valid for up to five years. Canada's visa decision is the latest step in the country's efforts to process asylum claims filed from regular points of entry, such as airports, and unofficial border crossings. In January, Canadian authorities also imposed restrictions on foreign students, doubling the savings threshold new applicants must have to obtain a study permit, after the increase sparked concerns about pressure on the accommodation. Following an agreement with the United States, Canada closed a popular land border crossing between New York state and Quebec, called Roxham Road, last year following a surge in of migrants entering Canada through there. Some provincial leaders, including Quebec Premier François Legault, criticized the federal government's response and said it needed to provide more financial aid to cover the costs of absorbing thousands of migrants. About half of Canada's 290,000 asylum seekers are in Quebec, the province's immigration minister said, and Quebec is asking the government to provide C$1 billion in aid. Emiliano Rodríguez Mega contributed reporting from Mexico City.