Diplomatic Tensions: India Advises Against Traveling to Canada

India has advised its citizens against travelling to Canada, which has prolonged a diplomatic disagreement. This disagreement started when Canada’s Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, accused the Indian government of being connected to the unfortunate incident involving a Sikh leader in British Columbia. New Delhi strongly denied this accusation, calling it “absurd” and lacking evidence. This dispute between India and Canada and the stern warning might make some Indian citizens wonder if Canada is a secure place to visit or settle in.

Why is India advice citizens not to travel to Canada?

India is telling its citizens not to go to Canada because of a serious situation. On September 18, Canada’s Prime Minister made a rare announcement in Parliament about national security. He said they had reliable information suggesting that people linked to the Indian government were responsible for the shooting in June that killed Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Nijjar was a Canadian citizen, Sikh leader, and head of the Guru Nanak Gurdwara in Surrey, B.C. He strongly supported the idea of Sikh separatism and worked to organize an unofficial vote among Sikhs living abroad for an independent Khalistan. This incident has caused problems in international relations, including during the recent G20 summit in India. It could also affect Indian citizens thinking about going to Canada or are already there.

How impactful could this be?

With Canada having about 1.4 million people of Indian descent, many folks frequently travel between the two countries. In 2021, 80,000 Canadian tourists visited India, ranking them the fourth-largest group of tourists, according to India’s Bureau of Immigration. On the flip side, Canada is a popular destination for Indians, especially students. In 2022, nearly 300,000 Indians were studying in Canada.
The recent travel restrictions will impact those planning to travel in the coming months. Vinay Kanetkar, who directs the University of Guelph’s Canada India Research Centre for Learning and Engagement, mentioned that this will cause disruptions. It’s happening right when many Indian expats usually go back home. Important Indian festivals are starting in October, like Diwali in the following month. People often travel during these festive seasons to visit their families, which will be a significant problem for them.
It’s worth noting that nearly one in five of Canada’s recent immigrants were born in India, making it the top country of birth for newcomers to Canada, as per Statistics Canada’s report from last year.

What does the advisory say?

The advisory from New Delhi cautions Indian citizens who are thinking about going to Canada. It talks about an increase in activities against India and crimes motivated by hate that is supported by politics. It especially advises students to be very careful.
It’s important to know that Indians form about 40 percent of all the international students in Canada. This means India is the biggest country where students come from. Also, when it comes to people moving to Canada for work through the Express Entry system, India is the leading country by a large margin.

Is Canada a safe country for Indians?

Yes, Canada is considered a very safe country for people worldwide, including Indians. A recent report from U.S. News & World Report even ranks Canada as the third safest country globally, with only Switzerland and Sweden ahead.
This report looks at five important factors: how much crime happens, how safe workers are, the quality of housing, the availability of healthcare and emergency services, and how safe people feel.
Right now, there isn’t much evidence to suggest that Canada is particularly unsafe for Indians. However, it’s important to remember that it’s hard to predict exactly how the current diplomatic situation might develop and how it could affect Indians in Canada or those planning to visit or move there.

Zelensky has requested the United Nations to take away Russia's veto power. But is it possible for this to happen?

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zеlеnsky made an unusual request at a UN Security Council mееting. He asked Russia to losе its spеcial powеr to say “no” to cеrtain dеcisions. Zеlеnsky has discussed this before, еspеcially since Russia started a conflict in Ukraine in 2022.
Now, Russia is one of five important countries in the Security Council. These countries, also known as the P5, are the UK, Francе, the United States, China, and Russia. Ten other countries take turns being on the Council. But only the P5 members have the special power to stop dеcisions they don’t agrее with.
Lately, Russia and China have used this power the most, often saying “no” to the same decisions. In the last ten years, Russia has stoppеd twеnty-four decisions, China has stopped ninе, and the US has stopped thrее. One important decision Russia made was in Sеptеmbеr 2022. It was a plan to say that Russia shouldn’t have taken parts of Ukrainе and should leave. Because of Russia’s war in Ukrainе and disagrееmеnts among the P5, the Security Council often can’t make big decisions. Other powerful countries like India and Brazil are lеft out.
The head of the UN, Antonio Gutеrrеs, also said it might be time to changе how thе Sеcurity Council works. He pointed out that it was crеatеd in the 1940s, when the world looked very different, and Russia was part of the USSR. He said there might be a big brеak if things don’t changе. But right now, it’s not very likely that things will change. To make changes, all the current P5 members would have to agrее.