No visas for now, says Canadian minister in Prague

Czechs travelling to Canada can continue to do so without a visa. During a visit in Prague on Thursday, the Canadian Minister for Citizenship and Immigration Diane Finley said that for the time being her country was not planning to reintroduce visa restrictions for Czechs. She added, however, that the Czech Republic and Canada must work together in an attempt to lower the number of Czechs seeking asylum in Canada. Canada first lifted visa requirements for Czech citizens shortly after the fall of communism, but reintroduced them in 1997 in reaction to a flood of asylum seekers, mainly Romanies, on the grounds that Czechs were abusing the Canadian welfare system. The visa requirement was lifted once again in November last year. According to the figures released by the Canadian Embassy in Prague, altogether 449 Czechs have... [read full story]