The Canadian government has decided to stop the extra security checks for people flying to India, just a few days after starting them. This change comes during increased tensions between Canada and India because of the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

Earlier this week, Transport Minister Anita Anand had announced the enhanced security measures, saying they were being put in place "out of an abundance of caution." However, the government did not give a clear reason for lifting the new protocols. The screening, which was carried out by the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA), involved checking passengers and baggage before entering restricted areas at airports. These additional measures caused delays and long queues for passengers flying to India.

Security concerns following threats and tensions

The extra security checks were put in place after a bomb threat was made against an Air India flight in October. The flight, which was going from New Delhi to Chicago, was redirected to Iqaluit in Canada, but no explosives were found. Security worries grew even more when Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun made a public threat against Air India flights between November 1 and 19. This warning was timed with the "40th anniversary of the Sikh genocide" in India.

The relationship between Canada and India has been very tense since Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the Indian government was involved in the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada. India has denied these claims, calling them "absurd" and "motivated." The situation got worse when Canadian authorities accused Indian agents of being involved in criminal activities in Canada. As a result, both countries expelled diplomats from each other’s embassies.

Case

On June 18, 2023, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a 45-year-old Canadian man who advocated for an independent Sikh homeland from India, was shot and killed outside a Sikh temple in Surrey, British Columbia. This incident triggered a series of diplomatic tensions between Canada and India. By September 1, 2023, a Canadian trade official announced that Canada had paused discussions on a trade deal with India, surprising many since both countries had initially planned to finalise the agreement that year.

On September 10, 2023, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveyed his concerns about Sikh separatist protests in Canada to Prime Minister Trudeau during a G20 summit in New Delhi. Shortly after, on September 18, 2023, Trudeau informed Parliament that Canada was investigating credible allegations linking Indian government agents to Nijjar's murder.

India quickly reacted to the accusations from Canada, calling them “absurd” on September 19, 2023. In a back-and-forth response, both countries expelled a diplomat from each side; Canada sent away India’s top intelligence officer, while India expelled a Canadian diplomat. By September 22, 2023, India had stopped issuing new visas for Canadians and asked Canada to reduce the number of its diplomats in India. However, India started issuing visas again two months later. The ongoing conflict reached a peak on October 19, 2023, when Canada decided to withdraw 41 of its diplomats from India, as announced by Foreign Minister Melanie Joly.