Carney’s Mexico agreement includes support for migrants
Canada has signed onto a new co-operation agreement with Mexico which includes commitments to help with the resettlement of migrants.
Canada has signed onto a new co-operation agreement with Mexico which includes commitments to help with the resettlement of migrants.
Standing alongside Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum at a press conference in Mexico City, Prime Minister Carney said the plan will deepen co-operation in trade, energy and security while positioning North America “as the most competitive and dynamic economic region in the world.”
The arrangement is not a legally binding treaty but a political agreement meant to elevate bilateral ties and give both countries a political prize to showcase.
The plan commits $5.5 million through the International Labour Organization to help integrate migrants and displaced people in Mexico through job programs and training. Another $4.4 million will go to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime and the RCMP to combat fentanyl and other synthetic opioid trafficking, bringing the total UN funding to $9.9 million.
The partnership also launches a new bilateral security dialogue to disrupt organized crime, drug and human trafficking, money laundering and cybercrime. That effort is expected to involve sharing sensitive information between Canadian and Mexican security agencies.
International watchdogs, including Transparency International, which ranked Mexico 140th of 180 countries on its 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index, have repeatedly warned of cartel infiltration and corruption in Mexican law-enforcement and intelligence agencies.
Carney said the Canada–Mexico Action Plan will prioritize long-term infrastructure projects such as ports, rail and energy corridors. It will also build new opportunities for trade and investment in critical minerals and agriculture. The two leaders pledged to reinforce climate and conservation co-operation to protect wildlife and freshwater systems.
To highlight upcoming shared events, Carney announced Sports Secretary Adam van Koeverden will serve as Canada’s “FIFA Sherpa,” working with U.S. and Mexican counterparts to prepare for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
A Leger poll from June commissioned by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation shows that 50 per cent of Ontarians don’t think the World Cup is worth the $380 million price tag for only six matches.
“Canada and Mexico are entering a new era of co-operation,” Carney said, promising more opportunity for Canadian workers and investors while strengthening supply chains and regional security.