Amid the ongoing political tension between India and Canada, parents and kin of Indian students studying in Canada are concerned about the increasing security concerns.
Indian students, especially Sikhs, make up a large part of Canada’s population and due to an ongoing diplomatic row between the two countries, there have been allegations of racism and discrimination being faced by Indians living in the North American country. Even the Ministry of External Affairs had, on Wednesday, September 20, issued an advisory to all Indian nationals in Canada, urging them "to exercise utmost caution".
However, when EdexLive reached out to a few students in Canada, they said that they had not faced any discrimination or security concerns in the country.
Ramya Chokkakula, an Indian student currently residing in Canada, said, “Everything is good here and nothing has affected the students so far. We are constantly getting messages and calls from friends and family asking if everything is okay or if we are safe. But there is nothing to be worried about and most students are continuing with their everyday routine as usual even after the recent dispute. I think the situation is being portrayed worse on the news to alarm the parents.”
What happened?
The diplomatic tension between India and Canada started after the Canadian Prime Minister remarked about the involvement of the Indian government in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Sikh-Canadian national and a separatist activist.
While the Indian government immediately turned down the allegations calling them “absurd and motivated”, the diplomatic ties between the two countries were severely affected as India’s foreign ministry also suspended visa services for Canadian citizens.
Students say that while prospective students planning to move to Canada for higher education might face a few hurdles in their application and visa process, there is not much to worry about for the existing students.
Radhakrishna, another student studying in Canada, explained, “New students who might be looking to take admission this fall or next summer semester might face more scrutiny than usual for their applications. Apart from that, in my personal opinion, there are no major security concerns, especially in Ontario where I am staying.”
Due to better career and immigration opportunities, Canada is one of the top choices for students looking to move abroad. As per media reports, in 2021, 35 per cent of the foreign students who chose to study in Canada were Indians and of the 6.17 lakh study visas granted by Canada, 2.17 were to Indian students.
Madhupreet Singh, a student of St Lawrence College, Kingston, Ontario, said that there has been misinformation about the state of security for Indian students in Canada.
“I can’t comment on any unseen future situation but I hope that under any circumstances, international students wouldn’t be impacted due to what Indian or Canadian diplomats do in the future. Of course, Indian students here studying or on work permits are still connected to their roots in India and are not happy with the friction between the two nations. So far there have not been any issues but in the future, if it happens, we will definitely raise our voices as we have spent a lot of money to come to this country for higher education,” Singh added.
Meanwhile, the Canadian government has updated its travel advisory for its citizens in India asking them to "remain vigilant and exercise caution". Reports also state that there have been minor demonstrations by Sikh activists in Canada against the ongoing row between the two countries.
But what about those who are aspiring for Canada and are worried about the aftermath of the tensions? Experts are advising the students to look at other countries that offer similar opportunities as Canada until the tension settles.
"The current escalation of tension between India and Canada is causing a lot of worry for students who were planning to go to Canada for their studies. I know this is a tough situation and at this point, my suggestion to these students would be to look at other geographies that provide similar benefits of permanent residency as well as quick immigration such as European countries like Germany, France, and Finland where you will find similar or maybe even better options in terms of fees as it could be more affordable than Canada," suggested Ankur Dhawan, President, UpGrad Abroad.
