CBC News spoke with people in line outside a visa application centre in Surrey, B.C., following the Indian government’s announcement of visa service suspensions for Canadians.
Hour after hour on Thursday, a steady flow of people came around the side of a nondescript building in Surrey, B.C., holding brown folders and stacks of paperwork. A lone security guard cracked the door below a sign for BLS International, just enough to speak quietly with people outside.
The agency, which typically processes visa requests for India, was busy through the morning after the Indian government suspended visa services for citizens of Canada — another step in a diplomatic conflict that is now trickling down to affect everyday people.
Many of the people waiting on Thursday had appointments and were looking for answers, despite the suspension.
“It’s a very complex situation, but if we cannot travel, we are the ones who are going to suffer, not the diplomats,” said Manbir Singh, who is trying to get his paperwork squared away before travelling to India for family weddings in November and January.
Other have more urgent needs, he said: “There are also people who don’t have [health] coverage here who might want to go back to India for better service.
“Those are the people who are going to suffer the most.”
Many visiting the agency said they were increasingly on edge over the deepening conflict between Canada and India. The suspension means that Canadians who don’t already have visas will not be able to travel to India until services resume.
The conflict “has left us all distraught,” said Santosh Sandhu, who has already paid for flights in October but couldn’t get an answer from BLS on Thursday about whether her visa will come through.
Some were reluctant to speak to reporters, worried an interview would negatively affect their applications, but agreed visa delays at this time of year mostly affect people travelling for health or events like weddings and the Diwali festival later in the fall.
Canadians hoping to travel to India have been hit hard by India’s sudden decision to suspend visa services. The Indian government says it’s due to security concerns at visa offices in Canada.
“Whenever we deal with international disputes, it’s the ordinary people who find themselves caught in the crossfire,” said immigration lawyer Raj Sharma.
“That diaspora is now stranded in Canada.”
Sharma said the visa suspension will effectively freeze aspects of tourism, business, trade and international study.