Canada has decided to stop its open-door policy for political asylum seekers due to increasing pressure from India. India has accused Canada of sheltering criminals under the guise of offering refuge. This move by Prime Minister Trudeau's government comes as tensions between India and Canada are at their highest following the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar last year.

Starting November 29, Canada will stop accepting new asylum applications, and those already granted asylum will be carefully reviewed. This decision is part of India's strong effort to control separatist movements and is likely to affect Punjab, as most asylum seekers in Canada come from there. The Canadian government has paused new applications for its Private Sponsorship of Refugees (PSR) program from groups of five and community sponsors. This suspension will last until December 31, 2025, and is meant to provide clear guidelines for both refugees and local sponsors. Only applications submitted before November 29 will be considered for resettlement.

In 2025, Canada plans to accept 23,000 privately sponsored refugees, but these applications will undergo detailed verification. The number of asylum seekers in Canada increased from 13,000 in August to 14,000 in September this year. Canada's Immigration Minister, Marc Miller, recently raised concerns about the growing number of international students seeking political asylum soon after arriving in Canada. He believes this increase in "fraudulent asylum claims" is due to dishonest advice from immigration consultants, who encourage students to take advantage of the system for financial gain. Many of these claims are not based on real political reasons, but rather on economic issues, like being unable to pay tuition fees.

Miller has called on Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to look into licensed consultants who may be misusing the asylum process and to stop further abuse. 

This policy change will have a significant impact on young people from Punjab, many of whom have been trying to seek political asylum in Canada. Sukhwinder Nanda, Secretary of the Association of Consultants for Overseas Studies, reports that over 30,000 students and tourists have attempted to stay in Canada by filing asylum claims this year alone. Their main aim is to gain permanent residency through any means. Each year, around 1.75 lakh students from Punjab travel to Canada on study visas, but many later shift to asylum claims once they arrive.

Former Sangrur MP and leader of Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar), Simranjit Singh Mann, has confessed to issuing letters on his party’s letterhead to help people claim political asylum. He admitted to providing these letters to more than 50,000 youth from Punjab, mentioning the alleged human rights violations during the militancy in the 1980s. Mann also acknowledged charging Rs 50,000 for each letter, using the money to fund his party’s activities. These letters often highlight past persecution to strengthen asylum claims, which adds a controversial aspect to the process.