As tensions rise between India and Canada, some in the Indian diaspora say they are concerned about how the situation will affect travel between the two countries.
The federal government expelled six Indian diplomats on Monday after the RCMP said it had credible evidence that Indian agents played a role in violent crimes on Canadian soil, including extortion, coercion and the killing of Canadian citizens.
India insists it has received no evidence of any government involvement in crimes in Canada, and has ordered six Canadian diplomats to leave.
Fazal Baki, president of the Windsor South Asian Center in southwestern Ontario, says many community members he spoke to — especially families and students — expressed concern about their ability to travel between India and Canada if the conflict escalates into a visa suspension.
In September last year, India temporarily suspended visa services for Canadian citizens after Canada said there were “credible allegations” of Indian involvement in the killing of Sikh temple leader Hardeep Singh Nigar in British Columbia.
Baki says many members of his community are stressed by tense diplomatic relations and their latest developments, and are hoping for clarification soon on whether this could impact visa security and processing.
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“They are stressed, anxious and frustrated by the lack of information and are looking for guidance,” he said.
Rama Singh, a retired McMaster University professor and co-chair of the annual Gandhi Peace Festival in Hamilton, has what is known as an OCI card, which allows unlimited entry into India for its citizens abroad.
But Ancaster-Ont. One resident says he is still nervous about his upcoming travel to India, and others are planning to visit the country in the coming weeks as Diwali and wedding season approach.
He said: “I am worried because I bought the tickets, and I would like to know soon which direction things are going.”
The expulsion of Indian diplomats from Canada this week comes after more than a year of rising tensions between the two countries, which reached a peak after the killing of Najjar in June 2023.
What followed were several months of tense diplomatic relations, including Canada’s postponement of a trade mission to India and the two countries’ expulsion of senior diplomats.
But amid rising tensions, Singh says it’s important to remember how Indians have contributed to Canada’s social fabric, and the relationships created in local communities.
“I believe that relations between India and Canada are strong and long-term, and will remain so,” he said.
& Edition 2024 The Canadian Press
