Despite escalating diplomatic tensions, the number of Indian visitors to Canada has increased, according to data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). From January to July 2024, Canada issued 365,750 visitor visas (V-1) to Indians, up from 345,631 during the same period in 2023.

Relations between India and Canada soured following allegations by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau regarding India’s potential involvement in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canada-based Khalistan separatist. India has categorically rejected these claims, describing them as “absurd” and “motivated.”

According to The Indian Express report, from September to December 2023, Canada granted 176,372 visitor visas to Indian nationals, a notable increase compared to 133,505 issued during the same timeframe in 2022. Notably, Canada had lifted COVID-related travel restrictions on October 1, 2022, which may have contributed to this uptick.

V-1 visas are specifically for tourists or those visiting family and friends, and the figures do not encompass visas for students, workers, or diplomats.

Conversely, the number of study permits issued to Indian students has declined sharply. From January to August 2024, IRCC data indicates that 137,445 Indian students received Canadian study permits, down from 186,970 during the same period in 2023. In January 2024, Canada announced a cap on international student applications for two years, predicting a 35% reduction in study permits compared to 2023. However, this cap will not impact students pursuing master’s and doctoral degrees or those with existing study permits.

On October 14, tensions between India and Canada hit a new low. Last September, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made unproven claims that India was involved in the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada.

On Monday, Canada repeated the allegations, saying Indian diplomats played a role in planning the assassination. India has strongly denied the accusations, calling them “preposterous” and “ludicrous,” especially without credible evidence and based on what appears to be speculation. In response, India recalled six diplomats, including the High Commissioner, and expelled six Canadian diplomats. The strained relationship between the two democracies, both with strong people-to-people ties and much to gain from each other, seems to be caught up in a domestic political agenda in Canada.