Canada, India travel up 116% from last year as visa shutdown spurs fears

Last year, there were a total of 28,000 trips from India to Canada. This July, that number was 115.9 per cent higher than last year at 61,000 trips.

Travel from India to Canada grew more than 100 per cent year over year this summer, according to new federal data released on Friday.

That surge comes as countries around the world continue to ease COVID-19-related travel restrictions and is raising new questions about the number of people who could see their travel plans at risk after India announced this week it has shut down visa centres in Canada amid a diplomatic row.

Last year, there were a total of 28,000 trips in the month of July from India to Canada. This July, that number was 115.9 per cent higher than last year at 61,000 trips, new Statistics Canada data shows. However, the number of trips dropped from June, which saw 64,000 trips from India to Canada.

The rise in the number of trips has illustrated what’s at stake as diplomatic tensions rise between India and Canada over the killing of a B.C. Sikh leader in June this year.

On Thursday, India halted visa services in Canada. The news was first shared as a notice on the BLS Indian Visa Application Center’s website. BLS is the agency that processes visa requests for India.

“Important notice from Indian Mission: Due to operational reasons, with effect from 21 Sept. Indian visa services have been suspended till further notice,” it said.

For Toronto resident Rohit, whom Global News is identifying only by his first name out of concerns that sharing his worries could impact his application for travel documents, this means he may not be able to see his aging parents this year.

Rohit said he has not been back to India since 2019 and now, his travel plans hang in the balance.