Batswana, Namibians and Swazis, now need visa to visit Canada

As of September 12, 2012 citizens of Namibia, Botswana and Swaziland are required to apply for a visa to travel to Canada. The announcement was made on Wednesday by Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney. The ministry says about 35 million people visit Canada each year. 

"We continue to welcome genuine visitors to Canada," said Minister Kenney. "However, these visa requirements will give us a greater ability to manage the flow of people into Canada." This change will allow Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) and its partners to screen more travellers for security risks prior to their arrival in Canada. This would help significantly reduce the risk that individuals engaged in organised crime or the trafficking of persons could gain entry to Canada.  Allafrica.com said in the cases of Namibia, Botswana and Swaziland, human trafficking, especially of minors and fraudulent documents were significant concerns.The minister was quoted as saying "these requirements will better protect the safety of Canadians by preventing foreign criminals from coming to Canada in the first place”.