The requirement of a visa for travel to Canada for Vincentians remains an unresolved matter even after the Canada-CARICOM Summit.
During a news conference held in Kingstown, Gonsalves discussed his efforts to address the matter of visa-free travel to Canada for individuals holding Vincentian passports. He highlighted that this problem was mentioned during the Canada-CARICOM Summit, a recent event that occurred in Ottawa.
During the summit, Gonsalves expressed his viewpoint regarding Canada’s prerogative to determine visa-free entry, raising concerns about the individuals who are granted such privileges.
“It is passing strange that Nazis from Europe can enter Canada visa-free; for instance, from Germany and Ukraine and all about, they can enter visa-free, but the children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren of Milton Cato, the founding father of our nation, who fought Nazism from within the Canadian Armed Forces, need visas,” Gonsalves said.
According to Gonsalves, he received numerous technical responses when he inquired about the visa issue.
“They said, well, if you have a US visa, we have electronic travel authorization.” We pushed them, and they went one end of the way because it only impacts one-tenth of the population,” Gonsalves explained.
According to Gonsalves, the government of St. Vincent would persist in advocating for the elimination of visa requirements for individuals holding Vincentian passports.
In 2012, Canada implemented visa requirements for individuals holding Vincentian passports, citing apprehensions regarding the security of this travel document.
