In the midst of a heated dispute over the murder of a Sikh separatist on Canadian land, India has stopped providing visas to citizens of Canada. India said the interim change was necessary because “security threats” were impeding operations at its Canadian outposts. India continues to provide visa services from Canada.
This week, tensions increased after the head of Canada said that India may have been responsible for the murder on 18 June.
India vehemently denied the claim, calling it “absurd.”
Key partners in commerce and security as well as US friends, relations between the nations have been tense for some time. They have reached a record low, according to analysts.
The Indian government quickly said that Canadian citizens living in other countries are also affected by the suspension of visa services.
The Canadian high commission [embassy] and consulates have received threats, according to a spokeswoman for the Indian foreign affairs ministry in Delhi. “This has interfered with how they normally operate. As a result, they are momentarily unable to handle visa requests.
“India is seeking rank and diplomatic strength parity between the diplomatic missions of the two countries,” he declared. Because of Canadian diplomatic meddling in our domestic matters, this is being pursued.
Following reports that some of its ambassadors had received threats on social media, Canada had already said it was scaling back its presence in India.
According to a statement, “We are taking action to ensure the safety of our diplomats in light of the current environment where tensions have heightened.”
There are several factors at play and the two nations have strong historical links.
Why do some Sikhs want their own state?
According to the 2021 census, Canada has 1.4 million persons of Indian descent, more over half of them are Sikhs, or 3.7% of the total population. India also sends the most foreign students to Canada; in 2022, there were 320,000 Indian students abroad, or 40% of all foreign students.
Statistics from the Indian government show that around 80,000 Canadian visitors visited India in 2021, placing them fourth behind the US, Bangladesh, and the UK.
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