Indian Youth At Pro-Khalistan Protest In Canada To 'Make Asylum Claim': Report
As the Indian government constantly monitors Khalistani operations in Canada, officials recently suspected that several young temporary residents from India were participating in pro-Khalistan protests in Canada. The youth, according to Indian officials, are desperately trying for permanent residency by playing Khalistani card and taking selfies with the protesters for filing asylum requests, Hindustan Times reported, citing a senior Indian official.
However, there was hardly any evidence that the organisers have called the temporary residents to participate in the pro-Khalistan demonstrations held in recent weeks. The suspicion of Delhi grew as the asylum claimants from India sharply increased this year amid the immigration curb initiatives by Canada.
The report however, noted that the such claims have not seen success when they come before the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada or IRB. Out of 15298 cases only 1078 were accepted, and there are 23538 pending claims from Indian nationals before the Board, according to the report.
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Though thousands have applied for asylum in Canada as refugees from India, citing political persecution, India has facilitated the renewal of their passports and even the issuance of the Overseas Citizen Card and visas.
The Indian government has been accusing Canada of sheltering Khalistani “terrorists and extremists,” and the External Ministry has alleged that some of the Canadian political figures have openly expressed sympathy for the pro-Khalistan leaders, accusing Canada of giving space for human trafficking, anti-India activities, and organized crimes.
Notably, earlier, there were reports that the pro-Khalistan extremists in Canada have introduced several schemes, including sponsorship to susceptible Sikh youth from Punjab, enabling them to secure medium-skilled positions such as plumbers or truck drivers.
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The India-Canada relationship has become delicate following the alleged Indian hand in the assassination of the Khalistan leader Hardeep Singh Najjar in Candana. The candidaian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged Indian government agents hand in the murder of the Sikh separatist leader. The Pro-Khalistan movement has been working for the creation of an independent Sikh homeland in the Punjab region of India.
