‘Not Lax’: Canadian Immigration Minister Says Checks Conducted Before Letting People In

Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Marc Miller speaks during Question Period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. (Image: Reuters)

Canada’s Immigration Minister Marc Miller has rejected External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s remark that Ottawa is “lax” about admitting people into the country, saying authorities conduct a criminal record check on people entering Canada on student visas.

On Saturday, Jaishankar said that India had “convinced them (Canadian authorities) several times not to give visa, legitimacy or political space to such people which is causing problems for them (Canada), for us and also for our relationship.” But the Canadian government has not done anything, Jaishankar said, adding that India sought the extradition of 25 people, most of whom are pro-Khalistan, but they did not pay any heed.

His remarks came after Canadian authorities charged three Indian nationals with the murder of Khalistan separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. It is reported that they entered Canada on student visas.

Nijjar, a Canadian citizen, was shot dead outside a gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18, 2023.

Karan Brar, 22, Kamalpreet Singh, 22, and Karanpreet Singh, 28, all Indian nationals residing in Edmonton, have been charged on Friday with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder.

Responding to a question on Monday about Jaishankar’s remarks, Miller said, “We’re not lax, and the Indian Foreign Minister is entitled to his opinion,” reported the Cable Public Affairs Channel — a Canadian speciality television channel.

When asked what the Canadian government planned on doing about it, he said, “About what the Indian Foreign Minister said? Let him speak his mind. It’s just not accurate.” He said that Canada conducts a criminal record check on people entering the country on student visas, and when asked how this works, he said. “You check them in if they have a criminal record; they don’t come in.” Canada takes “any report like this very seriously,” Miller said.

He refused to confirm if the three Indians arrested for Nijjar’s murder were in Canada on a student visa, asserting that there’s information that he can’t share at the time because of the ongoing police investigation.

The ties between India and Canada came under severe strain following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegations in September last year of the “potential” involvement of Indian agents in the killing of 45-year-old Nijjar, a Khalistan separatist.

India has dismissed Trudeau’s charges as “absurd” and “motivated.” The presence of Sikh separatist groups in Canada has long frustrated India, which had designated Nijjar a “terrorist.” After the arrest of the three Indian nationals in connection with the murder, police in Canada said they had worked with US law enforcement agencies without giving additional details.

The police suggested more arrests might be coming.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Assistant Commissioner David Teboul, the force’s commander for the Pacific region said last week that he wouldn’t comment on the alleged links between the three men arrested and Indian officials but noted the force is “investigating connections to the government of India.” Meanwhile, Jaishankar on Saturday said what is happening in poll-bound Canada over the killing of Nijjar is mostly due to their internal vote bank politics and has nothing to do with India.

He said a section of pro-Khalistan people are using Canada’s democracy, creating a lobby and have become a vote bank.