Canada lifts extra travel restrictions to India after days of controversy

Days after declaring increased security requirements for travelers heading to India, Canada withdraws the directives amid the ongoing diplomatic tensions.

On Nov 21, the office of Transport Minister Anita Anand announced that such restrictions had been "lifted."

The temporary policy, which called for more thorough security checks for visitors to India, was announced on Nov 18 by Anand, who said the extra measures were put in place "out of an abundance of caution."

“Due to heightened security mandates by Transport Canada for all passengers travelling to India, security wait times are expected to be longer than anticipated for your upcoming flight,” reads the notification Air Canada sent out over the weekend to passengers bound for Indian destinations.

“To minimize any disruption to your travel plans, we recommend you arrive 4 hours prior to your flight's departure. We appreciate your patience and understanding,” the notification added.

"Transport Canada has introduced additional requirements for travellers to India, and Air Canada, like other carriers, is complying with these," an Air Canada spokesperson said in an email on Nov 18.

"Departing passengers may experience longer than usual wait times at international pre-board screening at Toronto Pearson this evening," the airport wrote in a post on X on Nov 17.

Please confirm with your airline if you are traveling, and ensure you have enough time to get to your flight.

In October, the secessionist group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) posted a list of routes and Air India planes to "target" between Nov 1 and Nov 19.

In Nov 2023, SFJ's general counsel Gurpatwant Pannun issued a video warning Sikhs in Punjabi, "Don't fly Air India after November 19; your lives may be in danger." The sentence was repeated twice. He stressed that he was "calling for a boycott" of the airline, not making a threat.

Earlier, Canada was also the victim of one of the greatest terror strikes in history, when Khalistani terrorists blew up Air India Flight 182 in the air when it was flying from Montreal to Mumbai.

On June 23, 1985, Babbar Khalsa carried out a terror attack that killed all 329 onboard, including passengers and crew members. The majority of those killed were Canadian citizens of Indian descent.

Earlier, the Justin Trudeau government denied any connection between criminal activity in Canada and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar, and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on Nov 22.

India has repeatedly denied any connection to the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has listed as a terrorist, and alleged that Trudeau's government was caving in to Khalistani supporters for political advantage.

Last year, Trudeau claimed that he had "credible allegations" that India was involved in the murder of Khalistani terrorist Nijjar in Canada.

On June 18, 2023, Nijjar was killed outside the Gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia.