Not lax about admitting people in Canada: Immigration Minister Miller on EAM Jaishankar's remarks

Ottawa, May 7

Canada’s Immigration Minister Marc Miller has rejected External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s remark that Ottawa is “lax” about admitting criminals into the country, saying authorities conduct a thorough record check on people entering Canada on student visas. 

On Saturday, Jaishankar said that India had “convinced them (Canadian authorities) several times not to give visa, legitimacy or political space to such people which is causing problems for them (Canada), for us and also for our relationship”.

His remarks came after Canadian authorities charged three Indian nationals with the murder of Khalistan separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. It is reported that they entered Canada on student visas.

Karan Brar, 22, Kamalpreet Singh, 22, and Karanpreet Singh, 28, all Indian nationals residing in Edmonton, have been charged on Friday with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder.

Responding to a question on Monday about Jaishankar’s remarks, Miller said, “We’re not lax, and the Indian Foreign Minister is entitled to his opinion,” reported the Cable Public Affairs Channel — a Canadian speciality television channel.

When asked what the Canadian government planned on doing about it, he said, “About what the Indian Foreign Minister said? Let him speak his mind. It’s just not accurate.”  

He said that Canada conducts a criminal record check on people entering the country on student visas.

Canada takes “any report like this very seriously”, Miller said.

He refused to confirm if the three Indians arrested for Nijjar’s murder were in Canada on a student visa, asserting that there’s information that he can’t share at the time because of the ongoing police investigation.