Will recent events take the charm off the great Canadian Dream?
Canada have escalated through this week over blames of a Khalistani activist's murder, worrying parents and families of Indian nationals in a far-off country as much as the country’s lawmakers brood over the flaring issue.
Relations between the two countries worsened when on Thursday India suspended the issuance of visas in Canada, citing operational reasons. Canadian PM Justin Trudeau went on to call on the Indian government to cooperate with an official probe into the murder of Khalistani separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia.
However, though the situation is unlikely to alleviate overnight, immigration lawyers in Canada believe that there’s almost nothing to worry about in the long term.
Some Indo-Canadians of Sikh background are already saying they don’t feel as safe in Canada as they once did, says Ravi Jain, Canada-based immigration lawyer and founder of Jain immigration, though Trudeau’s move did not surprise some in Canada’s Sikh community.
“Some leaders of this community are already indicating that they are not surprised by the Prime Minister’s announcement.
Others of Indian descent will find the nature of the allegations shocking,” Jain said.
The most recent census reveals that there are 7,70,000 Indo-Canadians who identify as Sikhs in terms of their religion, while some of them support Khalistan.
Also read: As tensions rise, Canadian universities caution Indian students about delayed intakes, disrupted sessions
Elizabeth Long, Partner at Long Mangalji LLP and a specialist in immigration Law, told ET that the diplomatic ties would not really have an effect on Canadian immigration.
“The presence of Indian nationals or people of this descent in Canada is very strong. They contribute to the
