Extra security checks for passengers flying from Canada to this country

Update: Anita Anand’s press secretary says the measures for passengers travelling to India have now been lifted

Strained diplomatic ties between Ottawa and New Delhi have led to longer waits and tighter security checks for passengers flying from Canada to India, according to reports.

The enhanced screen is “out of an abundance of caution” says Federal Transport Minister Anita Anand, according to reports out of both Canada and India.

Anand, who is also an MP in Oakville, said the additional security screening measures are “temporary” but could lead to passengers dealing with “screening delays while these measures are in place,” according to the CBC.

On Nov. 21, Anand’s press secretary told INsauga.com that the measures for passengers travelling to India had been lifted.

Prior to lifting the measures, the ministry has said travellers are recommended to arrive “4 hours prior to your flight’s departure,” according to Indian outlets.

Tensions between the two countries have been on the rise following the murder of Canadian Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in 2023, a killing that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said was ordered by the Indian government.

New Delhi initially outright denied any involvement, before shifting to saying that extrajudicial killings are not state policy.

India temporarily suspended visa services for Canadians and withdrew diplomatic immunity for most of Canada’s envoys, and Ottawa expelled India’s top envoy and five other diplomats last month.

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The RCMP has warned the public about a rash of crimes including murder, extortion and coercion linked to Indian government agents, while India has denied the allegations.

Two visits from the Indian Consulate were pushed back following violent protests and calls for more demonstrations at temples in Mississauga and Brampton.

Four people have been arrested and charged after protests turned violent in Brampton last week, spilling into Mississauga as Hindu and Sikh residents clashed.

The Canadian Government has also issued travel advisories for travellers heading to India saying to “exercise a high degree of caution…due to the threat of terrorist attacks throughout the country” as well as the Zika virus.

– With files from The Canadian Press.