Fear of India feud with Canada threatens work and study plans

CHANDIGARH, India –

Indians in Punjab, concerned that plans to work, study or visit families in Canada will be jeopardized by this week’s tit-for-tat expulsions of diplomats over the killing of a Sikh separatist, urge both governments to reduce tension.

Canada’s nearly 800,000 Sikhs were the world’s second-largest community in 2021, after about 20 million in India. They have ties to the northern breadbasket state of Punjab, where their religion was founded more than 500 years ago.

“Many clients have reached out because they were concerned about how this might affect their plans to migrate to Canada,” said immigration lawyer Karan S. Thukral, based in the Indian capital, although he added that he had not yet seen a major drop has seen in the legal situation. to ask.

“Indian students are among those feeling the impact most acutely.”

Indians have formed Canada’s largest group of international students in recent years, mainly from Punjab, and accounted for more than 41 percent of student permits in 2022. International students bring in around US$22 billion ($16 billion) annually for universities.

“We want to go to Canada to study and settle there, but now that is not possible because students who want to go there face difficulties,” said Anita, a student in Chandigarh, the capital of Punjab, who gave only her first name.

Canadian study permits for Indians fell sharply late last year and diplomatic tensions were likely to weigh on future figures, Immigration Minister Marc Miller told Reuters in January.

“It is something that both countries cannot afford as we are highly dependent on each other,” said Kanwalpreet Kaur, professor of political science at DAV College, Chandigarh.

“It really keeps students on edge because their future is tied to Canada,” she added.

Ties deteriorated last September when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said there were “credible allegations” linking Indian government agents to the killing of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil.

India’s High Commissioner, or ambassador, was one of six diplomats Canada expelled on Monday, linking them to the killing, while accusing the Indian government of launching a broad campaign against Canada’s South Asian community.

India rejected the allegations, accusing Trudeau of pursuing a “political agenda” while kicking out six high-ranking Canadian diplomats in retaliation.

However, both countries see no immediate impact on mutual trade, which stood at $8.4 billion at the end of the last fiscal year on March 31.

“It’s a loss for families and for our children who want to go there to live a better life,” said Gurinder Singh, who runs a fabric company and exports to Canada.

“The government must take all this into consideration and ensure that the matter does not escalate.”

(Reporting by Reuters journalists; Writing by Shivam Patel; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)