There was chaos at Vancouver's YVR airport Tuesday, one day after Canada's immigration minister announced new travel restrictions for visitors from Mexico and the Czech Republic.
In an effort to stop Mexican and Czech nationals from claiming refugee status, visitors from both countries are being asked to produce travel visas before entering Canada.
As a result, a 300-passenger international flight from Mexico City was detained for up to three hours Tuesday afternoon when it was found some of its travelers didn't have the proper visas prepared - even though they weren't told they needed the documents until midnight Monday.
The Canadian Border Services Agency says it granted the travelers a temporary resident permit, and waived what would have been a $200 fee for each of them. But held-up airport passengers are not the only ones facing trouble as a result of the sudden restrictions.
A family reunion in ruins
The Alexander family in Coquitlam now fears their long-awaited family reunion might not happen. Seven of Ophilia Alexander's relatives in Monterrey, Mexico had planned to come to Vancouver this Friday. Under the new restrictions, it may be impossible.
"It's just unfair, it's very said. They've already packed," Alexander said Tuesday.
"The logistics of getting those visas is impossible by Thursday. They've made it an impossible situation," husband Murray Alexander said.
Stockwell Day says the motivation behind the move is to stem the tide of Mexican tourists who become refugee claimants, and stay for years.
"When you have 9000 people claiming refugee status, that jams the system," Day said. "Over 90 per cent are not valid, and the people who need this don't get that opportunity and something needs to be done."
The Alexanders say they don't like Canada's refugee system being abused - but that they're still being punished for the sins of others.
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Jon Woodward
