The Government of Canada has closely followed the political and human rights situation in India related to the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019 (CAA), the National Register of Citizens (NRC), and the National Public Register (NPR).

Canada has raised concerns over the implementation of the CAA and related violence directly with the Government of India. During the official visit of the Indian Minister of External Affairs to Ottawa on December 19, 2019, the Minister of Foreign Affairs discussed the CAA and the importance of upholding the rights of all religious minorities. On March 2, 2020, the Minister had a call with his Indian counterpart. During this frank conversation, he expressed concerns over the violence in Delhi and the lives lost and he highlighted the importance of a path towards peaceful and productive dialogue on this sensitive issue.

Canada continues to encourage India to uphold human rights, including respect for the rights of minorities. During the United Nations Human Rights Council’s most recent Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process for India in May 2017, Canada recommended that India guarantee freedom of religion or belief by implementing existing laws to better protect individuals belonging to minority groups from hate speech, incitement to religious violence, discrimination on religious grounds and forcible conversions. Canada expressed concern about continued caste-based discrimination, against, inter alia, Christian, Muslim, and Hindu Dalits.

The Government of Canada is committed to the protection and promotion of human rights, including freedom of religion or belief, at home and abroad. Canada will continue to follow the situation around the recently legislated citizenship Amendment act and to stress the importance of upholding the rights of all religious minorities.