RAJYA SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.500
TO BE ANSWERED ON 20.07.2017
REFUSAL FOR ENTRY IN CANADA FOR PEOPLE SERVING IN INDIAN FORCES
500. SHRI N. GOKULAKRISHNAN:
Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:
(a) whether it is a fact that Government of Canada has been refusing entry to Indians who are serving and/or had served in forces like Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), etc.;
(b) whether it is also a fact that in recent time a similar refusal was widely reported in the press;
(c) if so, the details thereof;
(d) whether Government has taken up this issue with Canada; and
(e) if so, their reaction thereto?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
[GEN. (DR) V. K. SINGH (RETD)]
(a) to (e) Government is aware that Shri Tejinder Singh Dhillon, former CRPF official, was denied entry in Canada on 20 May 2017 by officials of Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) despite having a valid Canadian visa. The denial report by CIC official
made negative references to CRPF and inter alia accused the organization of having committed "widespread and systemic human rights abuses”.
The Government of India strongly took up the matter with Government of Canada both in Ottawa and New Delhi and conveyed that such a characterization of a reputed force like the CRPF was completely unacceptable. The Canadian High Commission issued a statement
on 23 May 2017 regretting the incident. The statement said that the language used in the denial report issued by the CIC "does not reflect the Government of Canada’s policy towards India or any particular organization, including the Central Reserve Police
Force of India. The Central Reserve Police Force plays an important role in upholding law and order in India”. The statement further said that Canada values its relationship with India, based on shared values of democracy, pluralism, human rights and rule
of law. The Canadian High Commission also provided fresh visa and tickets to Shri Dhillon for his travel to Canada.
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