Canadian courts dismiss 30 Khalistan-linked asylum appeals

by The_unmuteenglish

TORONTO, September 15 — Canadian federal courts have dismissed at least 30 asylum appeals this year by individuals claiming fear of persecution in India due to their alleged support for the Khalistan movement, court records show. Only four applicants had their appeals upheld, according to Hindustan Times analysis of publicly available 2025 federal court data.

Many of the rejected applicants cited links to the secessionist group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) or possession of voter cards for the so-called Khalistan Referendum as evidence of potential targeting if returned to India. The appeals challenged removal orders or denied refugee claims.

In the latest case, Pardeep Singh sought judicial review of a removal order, submitting affidavits from his parents and social media posts indicating “continued support of the Khalistan movement in Canada.” Federal court Judge Avvy Yao-Yao Go in Toronto dismissed the motion on September 6. “Having considered the materials filed by the parties and counsels’ submissions, I am dismissing the motion for a stay,” the judgment stated. Singh, an Indian citizen, had first arrived on a spousal work permit in February 2023, which expired in November 2024, after which he filed a refugee claim.

Similarly, in Vancouver on August 27, Federal Justice Guy Regimbald rejected Kanwaljit Kaur’s claim that her involvement with SFJ and support for Khalistan placed her at risk of persecution. The court described her assertions as “speculative” and noted that possessing a Khalistan Referendum voting card was “insufficient to establish” that she was of interest to Indian authorities. Kaur had arrived in Canada in 2018 and initially sought refugee protection on the grounds of domestic abuse.

On August 25, a federal court upheld the denial of asylum for an Indian couple, ruling that their claims of persecution due to pro-Khalistan activity in Canada were “disingenuous.” In Montreal, Federal Judge Benoit M. Duchesne confirmed prior decisions by the Refugee Board of Canada’s Refugee Appeal Division (RAD) and Refugee Protection Division (RPD), noting that the couple, Amandeep Singh, 38, and Kanwaldeep Kaur, 32, had amended their applications to claim new political activity in support of Khalistan during their time in Canada. They submitted protest photos and Punjab Referendum voter registration cards issued by SFJ as evidence.

The court rulings reflect a consistent judicial approach in 2025, emphasizing that mere association with Khalistan-linked activities in Canada, without evidence of high-profile persecution risk, is insufficient to merit asylum.

 

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