Canadian Courts Rejected 30 Khalistan-Linked Asylum Appeals In 2025: Report

Canadian federal courts have dismissed at least 30 appeals this year from individuals challenging removal orders or rejected refugee claims over alleged support for Khalistan.

Only four applicants succeeded, according to federal court records reviewed by Hindustan Times.

Many applicants cited ties to the secessionist group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) or possession of voter IDs for the so-called Khalistan Referendum to support fears of persecution if returned to India. However, the courts largely found these arguments unconvincing.

The most recent case involved Pardeep Singh, who sought judicial review of a removal order.

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His evidence included an affidavit from his parents and social media posts showing “continued support of the Khalistan movement in Canada.” On 6 September, Justice Avvy Yao-Yao Go in Toronto wrote: “Having considered the materials filed by the parties and counsels’ submissions, I am dismissing the motion for a stay.”

In another ruling on 27 August in Vancouver, Justice Guy Regimbald rejected Kanwaljit Kaur’s plea, saying her claims were “speculative” and that a voting card for the Khalistan Referendum was “insufficient to establish” she had “a sufficiently high profile to make her a person of interest for the Indian authorities.”

A Montreal court on 25 August upheld a denial of asylum to Amandeep Singh and Kanwaldeep Kaur, who argued they risked persecution in India for pro-Khalistan activity in Canada.

Justice Benoit M Duchesne called previous Refugee Board findings “reasonable,” noting the couple’s amended application claimed they “had become supporters of Khalistan” and presented protest photos and voter cards from SFJ.

These judgments reflect a recent trend: Canadian courts require clear evidence of risk, not just association with Khalistan-linked groups, to grant refugee protection.

A lawyer handling political asylum cases earlier said that letters of support on the Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) letterhead, signed by its president and MP Simranjit Singh Mann, a prominent Khalistan advocate, are also “procured” to strengthen an individual’s refugee claim.

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