04 Nov 2024 | 07:28 AM UTC
Canada, India: Consular disruptions likely at diplomatic facilities through late November amid bilateral tensions over Sikh separatist movement /update 1
Consular disruptions likely at diplomatic facilities in Canada and India through late November amid tensions over Sikh separatist movement.
Bilateral tensions between Canada and India will likely continue to cause diplomatic service disruptions through late November amid allegations of violence linked to the Sikh separatist movement. On Nov. 2, Canada's deputy foreign affairs minister informed a parliamentary committee that Indian Home Minister Amit Shah was allegedly involved in attacks targeting Sikh activists in Canada, including the 2023 assassination of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar. On Nov. 3, clashes between Sikh activists and Hindu devotees occurred outside a Hindu temple in Brampton, Ontario Province, during a protest commemorating the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
Consular service disruptions, including reduced operating hours and visa processing, are likely at diplomatic facilities in both countries over the coming weeks. As of Nov. 4, Canada has temporarily suspended visa and in-person consular services in Bengaluru, Chandigarh and Mumbai; officials did not specify when services will resume. Individuals are advised to contact the High Commission of Canada in New Delhi for consular assistance. Indian diplomatic facilities in Canada may also implement similar suspensions of visa services and/or other diplomatic processes over the coming weeks.
Confirm all transport arrangements before departure if traveling between India and Canada. Maintain contact with your diplomatic mission.
The ongoing bilateral diplomatic tensions have persisted since September 2023 after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asserted there were "credible allegations" of the Indian government's involvement in the killing of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian national. India has denied the allegations. Both countries previously expelled senior diplomats in a tit-for-tat move and advised their respective citizens to exercise heightened caution when traveling to the other nation.
In mid-October 2024, bilateral tensions again surged after Trudeau accused agents affiliated with the Indian government of violence targeting Sikh separatist activists in Canada. India has dismissed the allegations as unfounded and politically motivated, asserting that Canada has failed to provide evidence to substantiate its claims. Both countries subsequently expelled several of the other country's diplomats, including the Indian and Canadian high commissioners.
