The latest on foreign reaction to U.S. President Donald Trump’s speech to Congress (all times EST):
11:50 p.m.
In his speech, Trump said the U.S. should adopt a “merit-based immigration system” such as those used by Canada and Australia. So how do such systems work?
Australia, with its population of 24 million, caps the number of permanent migration visas to 190,000 per year. Those visas fall into three broad categories: skilled, family and humanitarian. Two-thirds of permanent residency visas are allocated to skilled migrants, in a bid to attract highly employable people.
Certain skilled visas are governed by a points-based system that considers the applicant’s English proficiency, age, experience and occupation. For example, migrants who have a PhD would receive more points than someone with no college education.
Those attempting to migrate on a family visa are not subject to a skills test, but must be sponsored by close relatives who are either Australians citizens or permanent residents, or certain New Zealand citizens living in Australia. Humanitarian visas are offered to refugees.
___
11:15 p.m.
A Mexican expert in border security says Mexico should follow up on President Donald Trump’s mention of immigration reform during his address to the U.S. Congress.
Jose Maria Ramos Garcia at the College of the Northern Border in Tijuana cites Trump’s mention of a merit-based immigration reform. Ramos says he sensed that Trump is talking about a solution for the “Dreamers,” the migrants brought across the border illegally as children and who have spent nearly all their lives in the United States.
Ramos also heard an opening for U.S.-Mexican cooperation against drug trafficking, noting that Trump spoke of the border wall in the context of stopping drugs rather than explicitly referring to migrants.
He suggests that subtle change could be the result of meetings in Mexico last week between U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Department of Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly with their Mexican counterparts.
___
10:50 p.m.
Former Mexican President Vicente Fox is urging Americans to stand up to Donald Trump and suggests that the U.S. president build a wall around himself.
As he has done previously, Fox made the comments while he jabbed at Trump via Twitter during the president’s address Tuesday night to a joint session of Congress.
Trump did not mention Mexico by name in his speech, but he returned to his promise to build a “great, great wall” along the U.S.-Mexico border and protect American jobs. Trump did not repeat his vow to make Mexico pay for the wall, something that the Mexican government has repeatedly said it will never do.
The Mexican government offered no immediate comment on Trump’s speech.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.