Nuclear groups propose ‘stepwise’ approach to increased regulatory efficiency

22 September 2023

A new joint report from World Nuclear Association, the Nuclear Energy Institute and the Canadian Nuclear Association proposes regulatory steps which can be taken to minimise the time and cost for large-scale deployment of a fleet of standardised reactor designs that are acceptable in multiple countries around the world.

(Image: World Nuclear Association)

The report, A Framework for International Regulatory Efficiency to Accelerate Nuclear Deployment, says changes are required if there is going to be the scale of new nuclear required to tackle climate change and energy security concerns.

It proposes a step-by-step approach "given the complexity of the differences in regulations and standards, including technical, human and cultural challenges and how difficult this makes convergence" of regulatory requirements in different countries.

Its model is for "gradually increasing collaboration between key stakeholders that is supported by multilateral agreements between technology vendors, regulators, and operators", and proposes to "build upon the efforts of small groups of regulators and industry jointly working on the review of specific reactor designs to increase efficiency in the design reviews to facilitate the ability of one regulator to leverage all, or part, of the outcomes from reviews undertaken by other regulators to support their own regulatory process".

Its three key recommendations for action are:  

• Increased support from governments, regulators and industry "to facilitate collaborative regulatory design review activities, including the enabling of groups of regulators working on specific designs"
• Stakeholders to facilitate "increased collaborative regulatory design reviews" through a stepwise phased approach, which would allow near-term benefits through “low risk activities" while building a foundation for greater benefits that need a longer timeframe
• Increased coordination of existing harmonisation activities "to accelerate progress through the stepwise phased approach and make most effective use of the resources available".

The report, produced by World Nuclear Association's Cooperation in Reactor Design Evaluation and Licensing (CORDEL) working group in cooperation with the Canadian Nuclear Association (CNA) and the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI), builds on existing work such as the Multinational Design Evaluation Programme and the International Atomic Energy Agency's Nuclear Harmonization and Standardization Initiative which was launched last year.

"These initiatives and others, including from other industries, have demonstrated that there is much that can be, and has been, achieved through collaborative efforts between different regulators and with industry. What is clear from other industries and ongoing harmonisation activities is that support from governments and early alignment among key stakeholders are important prerequisites for success," the report says.

It also says that "working with large groups of stakeholders makes alignment of requirements increasingly difficult, and that working generically on design safety issues makes it difficult to identify the real challenges to joint design reviews".

It concludes that to meet the targets for new nuclear by 2050, there needs to be an "innovative approach" and says "the collaboration efforts will require additional resources above and beyond what each national regulator already needs to support short-term regulatory activities in their own countries".

"The aim of committing resources and efforts to these international collaborative efforts now is to support increased export markets and facilitate national regulators being able in future to carry out more reviews more efficiently."

World Nuclear Association Director General Sama Bilbao y León said the report "highlights how increased government support for multi-lateral regulatory review activities, and greater coordination between international organisations are essential to accelerate the global deployment of fleets of standardised reactor designs. To be successful, we must come together as a nuclear sector, set common goals, define ambitious yet realistic targets, and collaborate to deliver the benefits of nuclear energy for all".

John Gorman, President and CEO of the CNA, said: "This report paves the way for the nuclear industry and regulators across the world as a blueprint towards a common objective and will prove to be a building block of initiatives such as the recently launched Net Zero Nuclear."

Maria Korsnick, President and CEO at NEI, said: "The demand for new nuclear is real, and there's a clear consensus on the world stage that nuclear plays a crucial role in our global clean energy transition. We cannot tackle the climate threat and bolster energy security without the versatility, reliability, and affordability that clean nuclear power ensures. But the challenge before us isn’t demand - it is meeting demand. Now is the time to rise to the occasion. Together, with our global allies, we can face the challenge before us through modernised and globally streamlined regulatory approaches, while maintaining our high standards of safety."

Researched and written by World Nuclear News

 

Funding announced for Pallas research reactor

22 September 2023

Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport Ernst Kuipers has confirmed full funding has been allocated for the EUR1.68 billion (USD1.79 billion) estimated public investment required for the Pallas research reactor in Petten, the Netherlands.

How the completed site could look (Image: NRG-Pallas)

He said last September that the ministry was to spend EUR129 million per year, and has announced this week that an outstanding EUR320 million was now also covered in the budget. He also said that the process of getting approval under European Union state aid rules, was also under way.

Bertholt Leeftink, CEO of NRG-Pallas, said: "This decision is confirmation that the Pallas reactor is of strategic importance for the Netherlands and Europe. It will strengthen the security of medical isotopes supply for nuclear medicine. For patients, it means faster access to innovative (cancer) treatments."

He said it would help the Netherlands to expand its position in the world market for medical isotopes and nuclear technological research and "will preserve high-quality knowledge and employment in the North Holland headland".

Peter Dijk, Pallas programme director, called it "tremendous news ... with this decision we can proceed with the preparatory works and attract a contractor for realisation of the new build".

The Pallas research reactor is to be built at Petten to replace the existing High Flux Reactor (HFR). The 45 MW HFR started operating in September 1960, since when its use has largely been shifted from nuclear materials testing to fundamental research and the production of medical radioisotopes. The reactor - operated by NRG on behalf of the European Union's Joint Research Centre - has for a long time supplied about 60% of Europe's and 30% of the world's use of medical radioactive sources.

Pallas will be of the "tank-in-pool" type, with a thermal power of around 55 MW, and able to deploy its neutron flux more efficiently and effectively than the HFR.

In May this year work began on the foundations after the Authority for Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection  granted a construction licence for the reactor in February.

NRG-Pallas say the reactor "will guarantee large-scale diagnostic and therapeutic isotopes for millions of patients worldwide over the next 60 years". It says that around 200,000 patient treatments with therapeutic isotopes take place annually in Europe and this number is expected to increase by 8% a year and says "targeted and personalised therapies are very promising because they can be used much more precisely than traditional treatments - this innovative approach has fewer harmful side effects, is more effective and less stressful for the patient".

Construction of the reactor, which will be located at the Energy & Health Campus in Petten, will be able to go ahead if the country's parliament does not object to the creation of a new state-owned company and if the European Commission approves the public investment.

Researched and written by World Nuclear News

 

Milestone in restoration of Zorita plant site

22 September 2023

Work to fill in the hole left following the demolition of the containment building of the José Cabrera nuclear power plant has been completed, Spanish decommissioning and waste management firm Enresa announced. The plant - also known as Zorita - is the first to be fully dismantled in Spain.

The site of the plant's former containment building (Image: Enresa)

The single-loop pressurised water reactor at the José Cabrera nuclear power plant, in the central municipality of Guadalajara, operated from 1968 until 2006 when it was closed by ministerial order. Although small by today's standards at 142 MWe, the plant nevertheless supplied more than 75% of Guadalajara's power requirements.

Pre-dismantling activities - carried out between 2006 and 2009 under the responsibility of the facility's operator, Union Fenosa - consisted mainly of the management of used fuel and the conditioning of operational waste.

Soil being placed within the pit (Image: Enresa)

After the completion of pre-dismantling activities and the corresponding ministerial authorisation of 11 February 2010, ownership of the José Cabrera nuclear power plant was transferred to Enresa for decommissioning.

In 2010 Westinghouse - which originally supplied the reactor - won a contract from Enresa to dismantle the reactor vessel internals. This was followed by another contract in 2013 to dismantle the reactor pressure vessel.

The dismantling of the plant's containment building began in November 2019 with the first section of the containment dome - measuring 8 metres in diameter, 16 millimetres thick and weighing 5.2 tonnes - being cut and removed.

Working nearing completion to level the ground (Image: Enresa)

Enresa said a total of 9500 cubic metres of selected soil has now been used to fill the void that remained following the complete dismantling of the containment building. This, it said, involved the loading and unloading of 850 trucks. During the process, the corresponding humidity, density and degree of compaction tests were carried out, with satisfactory results.

The demolition of the last remaining large building at the plant, the turbine building - 30 metres in height and made of reinforced concrete - was completed in June last year.

In order to restore the site to its initial state, the Restoration Plan - which was approved by Spain's Nuclear Safety Council - will ensure that the land to be released is free of residual radioactivity. During this final phase, site clean-up and final characterisation will be carried out before application is made for the declaration of decommissioning, with the aim of returning the site to its owner.

Researched and written by World Nuclear News

 

BWXT, Crowley to work together on power plant vessel concept

22 September 2023

BWX Technologies, Inc has teamed up with global shipping and maritime, energy and logistics solutions company Crowley to develop new shallow-draft hull ships to supply energy from onboard microreactors to shoreside locations.

The companies' vision for their concept (Image: Crowley)

A memorandum of understanding between BWXT's Advanced Technologies subsidiary and Crowley will allow both companies to jointly pursue and develop opportunities relative to the design, engineering and development of the ships, which would feature factory fabricated microreactors, readily deployed into a shipyard configuration for ease of installation on the vessel. The onboard power plant could supply electricity to facilities such as military bases in remote island locations, backup utility grids after disasters, and provide power in other scenarios "where traditional electricity sources are damaged or not possible", the companies said.

The concept envisions a 378-foot (115 metre) ship drawing on the logistics and marine capabilities of Crowley, with in-house vessel design Crowley Engineering Services, and the nuclear capabilities of BWXT, which has supplied nuclear components, fuel and services to the US government for more than 60 years. The vessel would use traditional propulsion. Its modular reactor - of between 5 and 50 MW - would be activated upon arrival at the destination and be deactivated and transported after the power supply is discontinued. Buoyed power delivery cables would enable the ships to deploy energy connections to shore. Shallow draft hulls allow vessels to manoeuvre to deliver power strategically if harbour access is limited, for example by military activities or by natural disaster.

Shiju Zacharia, senior vice president and general manager of Crowley Government Solutions, said the cooperation with BWXT will be the privately held company's first move into the nuclear energy sector, and is a key part of its commitment to sustainable, alternative energy sources. "This concept supports the US Department of Energy's goal of maintaining US leadership in nuclear energy technology as well as many the US Department of Defense's strategic goals for operational energy," he said.

BWXT Advanced Technologies LLC President Joe Miller said: "We are excited to work alongside Crowley to leverage our ongoing reactor development and demonstration programs to expand nuclear technology into new and novel markets to deliver zero carbon emissions energy generation to strategic locations."

BWXT was selected in 2022 by the US Department of Defense Strategic Capabilities Office to build and demonstrate a TRISO-fuelled prototype mobile microreactor as part of Project Pele. The company's (BWXT Advanced Nuclear Reactor) transportable microreactor - a 50 MW (thermal) high-temperature gas microreactor - was one of five selected in December 2020 by the Department of Energy to receive a share of USD30 million in initial funding for risk reduction projects under its Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program.

The companies have not yet provided details of the microreactor technology envisaged for their new ship concept other than saying it would feature "the latest technology available".

Researched and written by World Nuclear News

US microreactor apparatus begins tests

25 September 2023

Tests now under way using an electric-powered prototype of the US Department of Energy's (DOE) MARVEL microreactor will demonstrate the natural circulation that will be a critical part of the reactor's heat removal system.

The PCAT replica installed and ready for testing at Creative Energy's facility (Image: DOE Office of Nuclear Energy)

The primary coolant apparatus test - or PCAT - is a full-scale replica of the MARVEL microreactor. Built at Idaho National Laboratory (INL), the 12 foot (3.7 metre) tall machine was installed at Creative Engineers Inc's manufacturing facility in Pennsylvania in May, and loaded with sodium-potassium and lead-bismuth coolants to demonstrate heat removal from its electrically heated core. PCAT's Stirling engines were started for the first time on 19 September, Creative Engineers said.

CAT will provide data on temperatures and coolant flow to ensure the MARVEL reactor will perform as expected. The first phases of testing at PCAT will initially focus on demonstrating natural circulation, a critical heat removal mechanism within the system, DOE said.

The PCAT demonstration is an "important step in that process and will help validate and benchmark tools we use to accurately predict how the reactor will perform," Yasir Arafat, chief designer and project lead for MARVEL, said.

MARVEL - a liquid-metal cooled microreactor equipped with Stirling engines - is expected to produce 85 MW (thermal) using small amounts of high-assay, low-enriched uranium (HALEU) fuel. It is to be constructed at INL's Transient Reactor Test Facility - using off-the-shelf components, which will allow for faster construction - where it will be used to test microreactor applications, evaluate systems for remote monitoring, and develop autonomous control technologies. DOE has said it plans to connect the reactor to the lab's first nuclear microgrid.

The DOE said it is close to finalising the MARVEL design and is in discussion to procure key long-lead components for fabrication. The reactor could be operational as soon as the end of next year.

Researched and written by World Nuclear News

Environmental permit granted for first Polish Nuclear plant

22 September 2023

Poland's General Director for Environmental Protection (GDOŚ) has issued to Polskie Elektrownie Jadrowe (PEJ) its decision on the environmental conditions for the construction of a nuclear power plant in the province of Pomerania.

How the plant in Pomerania could look (Image: PEJ)

PEJ, the Polish government company that is progressing its policy to deploy up to six reactors at multiple sites in the country by 2040, submitted the environmental impact assessment (EIA) report for the first plant to GDOŚ on 29 March 2022. GDOŚ is an expert institution responsible for environmental protection and control of the investment process.

The EIA report examined the environmental impact of constructing and operating a plant with a generating capacity of up to 3750 MWe in the area of ​​the municipalities of Choczewo, Gniewino and Korkowa in the province of Pomerania. PEJ said the final EIA report complied with the provisions of the decision of GDOŚ, which in 2016 defined the scope of the environmental report in relation to the considered location variants and their technical sub-options, as well as in relation to the infrastructure accompanying the power plant.

The draft decision was reviewed by the Director of the Maritime Office in Gdynia, the State Sanitary Inspector for the Pomorskie Voivodeship, the Director of the Regional Board of Water Management in Gdańsk of the State Water Holding Wody Polskie, the President of the Polish National Atomic Energy Agency, and the Minister of Climate and Environment.

GDOŚ has now issued its final decision, which PEJ said is "a key permit obtained in the investment process, as subsequent administrative approvals, including the location decision and the construction permit, must be consistent with the terms and conditions contained in the decision on environmental conditions".

The obtained decision on environmental conditions determines the site variant for the first nuclear power plant in Poland, at the Lubiatowo-Kopalino site in the Choczewo municipality. It also defines the conditions of using the environment at the stage of development and operation of the facility, requirements concerning the environment protection necessary to be included in the design documentation, requirements for counteracting the effects of industrial accidents, and it also imposes an obligation of the reassessment of environmental impact, as part of the procedure for issuing the construction permit.

The decision was preceded by national and transboundary consultations with 14 countries that applied for participation in this procedure. The national consultations, held from 20 July to 18 August 2023, included all residents of Poland, who could review the documentation and submit their comments and conclusions. The transboundary consultations were held from September 2022 until July 2023. As part of the procedure, relevant protocols were signed with all the countries involved, including four protocols signed after intergovernmental expert meetings held under Article 5 of the Espoo Convention, which contributed to closing the process within the assumed timeframe.

"The issued decision on environmental conditions is one of the most important stages in the permitting process and brings us significantly closer to the start of the construction of the first nuclear power plant in Poland," said PEJ President Mateusz Berger. "It defines the conditions that must be met in order to execute a nuclear investment project in compliance with environmental regulations and requirements on both the national and international level."

PEJ - a special-purpose vehicle 100% owned by the State Treasury - has already obtained a decision-in-principle issued by the Ministry of Climate and Environment confirming that the company's investment is in line with the energy policy implemented by the state. In August, it applied to the head of the Pomeranian Voivodeship for a location decision for the plant.

The Polish government selected the Westinghouse AP1000 reactor technology for construction at Lubiatowo-Kopalino in Pomerania in November 2022.

Westinghouse and Bechtel have just signed a formal agreement to partner on the design and construction of the plant. They expect to sign an engineering services contract with PEJ within the next week.

Researched and written by World Nuclear News

Westinghouse, Bechtel sign consortium agreement for Polish plant

21 September 2023

Westinghouse Electric Company and Bechtel have signed a formal agreement to partner on the design and construction of Poland's first nuclear power plant at Lubiatowo-Kopalino. They expect to sign an engineering services contract with Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe (PEJ) within the next week.

From left: US Ambassador to Poland Mark Brzezinski, Ahmet Tokpinar, general manager of Bechtel’s nuclear power business line, Elias Gedeon, Senior Vice President for Commercial Operations at Westinghouse, Miroslaw Kowalik, President, Westinghouse Poland, and Anna Łukaszewska-Trzeciakowska, Poland Government Plenipotentiary for Strategic Energy Infrastructure at the signing ceremony (Image: Westinghouse)

The Polish government selected the Westinghouse AP1000 reactor technology for construction at Lubiatowo-Kopalino in Pomerania in November 2022. The country's Ministry of Climate and Environment in July this year issued a decision-in-principle for Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe (PEJ) - a special purpose vehicle 100% owned by the State Treasury - to construct the plant. "Significant licensing and engineering work" on the project is already under way, Westinghouse said.

An agreement signed earlier this year by Bechtel, Westinghouse and PEJ set out plans for the delivery of the project, with Westinghouse to lead the consortium at the design stage and Bechtel during construction.

Westinghouse President for Energy Systems David Durham said the team has "demonstrated ability" to deliver on large nuclear projects. "The fleet experience we have earned with our advanced, proven AP1000 technology, including a 100% complete design and construction lessons-learned, will serve Poland well as it seeks decarbonisation and increased energy security," he said.

"Bechtel and Westinghouse bring more than 140 years of combined nuclear power experience," John Howanitz, president of Bechtel's Nuclear, Security & Environmental global business unit, adding that the companies are "eager to partner with the local workforce, suppliers, and community, to deliver the clean and reliable energy Poland needs."

The consortium agreement was signed at the US Embassy in Warsaw.

Researched and written by World Nuclear News

'I am fearful': Muslim women in France speak out against the abaya ban

Tasnim Nazeer
08 September, 2023
France’s decision to ban Muslim girls from wearing abayas in state schools has ignited widespread condemnation from human rights organisations and Muslims globally. The New Arab interviewed three Muslim women in France who have been impacted.ShareFlipboardRedditWhatsAppXFacebook
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Last month the French government announced it was banning abaya’s (long cloak worn by Muslim females) in state schools asserting that it broke the rules of secularism.

The education minister, Gabriel Attal, told local French television network TVF1, “I have decided that the abaya could no longer be worn in schools,” maintaining that a person's religion should not be identifiable.

However, 15-year-old student Amira from Lyon, Southwest France, says she will not be removing her abaya.

Global hypocrisy on display after French schools abaya ban
Nadeine Asbali

“It’s part of my identity (the abaya), it’s part of me and I am fearful of having it forcibly removed just so that I can have an education, but I am determined not to remove it. I am in a critical year where I will be having exams and this is already affecting me," she tells The New Arab.

“I feel worried and anxious about going to school as I don’t know if they will turn me away or what the consequences of keeping it on will be,” she adds.


"If this is about secularism then shouldn’t we all have the basic right to have the freedom to choose what we wear?"

Amira is not alone, as dozens of girls were sent home for wearing the abaya, as the new school term began this week. According to official figures, there were 298 Muslim girls, mostly aged 15 and older, who turned up in abaya and 67 of those were sent home after refusing to remove the garment to come into school.



“If this is about secularism then shouldn’t we all have the basic right to have the freedom to choose what we wear? Some of my friends who wear abaya are so upset, some even feel like moving out of the country,” says Amira as her voice breaks.

Amira says not everyone agrees with the abaya ban, “Some of my friends from other faiths are angered too, they tell me what’s wrong with wearing a long dress? I feel supported by them, but not everyone is the same, there are some (students) that make me feel pressured to take it off and come back to school. They tell me the consequences will be worse if I don’t remove it.”



An organisation representing Muslims has submitted a formal request to the highest legal authority in France for grievances against the government's actions. The request seeks to challenge the prohibition of the abaya and a motion presented by the Action for the Rights of Muslims (ADM) is currently under review.

Laura, (name changed for confidentiality) is a mother of three girls and revert to Islam. She feels that the latest move by the government could be “detrimental” to young girls like her daughters.

“We all know that Islamophobia is a problem in this (France) country. First, there was a hijab ban then the burka ban and now the abaya. The government is acting under the guise of secularism but really this is about instilling more of a divide and isolating young Muslim girls,” she tells The New Arab.



The UN has also criticised France’s decision to ban the abaya stating that, ‘according to international human rights standards, restrictions on manifestations of religion or belief, including the choice of clothing, are only permitted in very limited circumstances, such as public safety, public order, health or morals.’

Laura believes that more organisations and rights groups should speak up worldwide. “What would you do if it was your daughter who had to face this kind of scrutiny at school just for wearing modest clothes? My daughter cried after being teased for wearing an abaya at school and this kind of bullying is reinforced by the government’s crackdown on Muslims in France and their preoccupation with what we (Muslim women) wear.”

French Muslims are caught between the right and a hard place
Benjamin Ashraf

It’s a sentiment that is echoed by Fatima, a mother of one teenage girl and two boys who live in Paris.

“It’s a difficult time for us. My daughter wears the abaya and the ban is bringing on anxiety issues. Many young Muslim girls are having an internal conflict because, on one hand, they do want to comply with the laws but when the laws are so discriminatory they feel this is violating basic human rights,” Fatima says.

France’s education minister Gabriel Attal had sent a letter home to the families of girls who refused to remove the abaya, saying that “secularism is not a constraint, it is a liberty”.

“If this is not a constraint to human rights I don’t know what is," Fatima continues. "My daughter had to remove it to go to school even though she didn’t want to. She can’t afford to miss her education over this but it’s a sad reality that we are faced with. I do hope that they reverse this decision and I know that activists are speaking out more now but who knows what the future will hold."

Tasnim Nazeer is an award-winning journalist, author, and Universal Peace Federation Ambassador. She has written for Al Jazeera, The Guardian, The Huffington Post, Middle East Eye, CNN, BBC, and others. She was awarded the FIPP global network of Media Rising Stars in 2018
Follow her on Twitter: @tasnimnazeer1

US Govt Contractor Charged With Spying For Ethiopia

By AFP News
09/21/23 

Abraham Teklu Lemma, 50, a US citizen of Ethiopian descent working as a contractor at the State Department, was arrested August 24 AFP

A US government contractor who worked at the State and Justice departments has been arrested on charges of spying, reportedly for Ethiopia.

Abraham Teklu Lemma, 50, a US citizen of Ethiopian descent, was arrested August 24 and is charged with providing national defense information to a foreign government, the Justice Department said.

The criminal complaint against Lemma, a Silver Spring, Maryland, resident whose LinkedIn profile describes him as an IT systems and data analyst, was unsealed on Friday.


In a statement announcing Lemma's arrest, the Justice Department did not name the country he was allegedly spying for, but it was identified by the New York Times and other US media outlets as Ethiopia.

According to an affidavit filed by an FBI investigator, Lemma carried out his espionage activities between December 2022 and August 2023, depositing tens of thousands of dollars in cash into bank accounts in the Washington region.

Lemma copied secret and top secret information from dozens of intelligence reports at the State Department and provided it to an "official associated with a foreign country's intelligence service" via an encrypted messaging service.

The information included documents, photographs, notes and maps relating to what the affidavit called the "Relevant Country."

The affidavit quoted a September 2022 exchange of messages in which the foreign official told Lemma "it's time to continue (your) support," to which he replied, "Roger that!"

"Lemma's communications with the Foreign Official... included a discussion of military activities of a rebel group involved in an armed struggle against the government of the Relevant Country," it said, believed to be a reference to the Tigray conflict.

In addition to working at the State Department, Lemma, who has held a top secret security clearance since 2020, also worked as a contract management analyst at the Justice Department.

Ethiopia is a major recipient of US aid and Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited there in March.

Lemma is charged with two counts of espionage and one of unlawfully retaining national defense information. The espionage charges carry a potential death sentence while the retention charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years.

INDIA/CANADA UPDATES

Pakistan Minister Bilawal Bhutto Takes Pro-Canada Stand 

By Madhuri Adnal | Published: Friday, September 22, 2023

Following Canada's accusation of India's involvement in the killing of a Sikh separatist leader within Canadian borders, Pakistan's former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari asserted on Tuesday that it was time for the global community to acknowledge India as a "rogue Hindutva terrorist state." 

Speaking to the media, PPP Chairman and former foreign minister Bilawal urged the interim Foreign Office to take note of the incident and issue a "clear" statement. Pakistan's former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari 

He emphasized that Canada had made a significant accusation against India, exposing India's actions to the world. 

Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari went on to say, "For how long will the international community, especially our Western allies, continue to turn a blind eye to such incidents involving India? It is high time for the international community to recognise India as a rogue Hindutva terrorist state." 

Amid Online Threats To Hindus He pointed out that India has not only been involved in acts of terrorism in occupied Kashmir, and its spies have been apprehended for involvement in terrorism in Pakistan, but now it has been caught violating the sovereignty of a NATO member state. 

"This is not just a breach of Canadian sovereignty; it is a violation of international law and norms. The PPP urges Pakistan to call upon the international community to support the people of Canada and shed light on the atrocities committed by the religio-fascist regime that India has become today," Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari concluded.

Will recent events take the charm off the great Canadian Dream?

By Surabhi Sarda, ET Online

Last Updated: Sep 22, 2023

Synopsis

Tensions between India and Canada have heightened over the murder of a Khalistani activist, leading to concerns among Indian parents and families residing in Canada. The Indian government has suspended the issuance of visas in Canada, while Canadian PM Justin Trudeau has called for cooperation in the investigation into the murder. However, immigration lawyers believe that there will be no long-term impact on Canadian immigration.

Tensions between India and Canada have escalated through this week over blames of a Khalistani activist's murder, worrying parents and families of Indian nationals in a far-off country as much as the country’s lawmakers brood over the flaring issue.

Relations between the two countries worsened when on Thursday India suspended the issuance of visas in Canada, citing operational reasons. Canadian PM Justin Trudeau went on to call on the Indian government to cooperate with an official probe into the murder of Khalistani separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia.

However, though the situation is unlikely to alleviate overnight, immigration lawyers in Canada believe that there’s almost nothing to worry about in the long term.

Some Indo-Canadians of Sikh background are already saying they don’t feel as safe in Canada as they once did, says Ravi Jain, Canada-based immigration lawyer and founder of Jain immigration, though Trudeau’s move did not surprise some in Canada’s Sikh community.

“Some leaders of this community are already indicating that they are not surprised by the Prime Minister’s announcement. Others of Indian descent will find the nature of the allegations shocking,” Jain said.

The most recent census reveals that there are 7,70,000 Indo-Canadians who identify as Sikhs in terms of their religion, while some of them support Khalistan.

Also read: As tensions rise, Canadian universities caution Indian students about delayed intakes, disrupted sessions

Elizabeth Long, Partner at Long Mangalji LLP and a specialist in immigration Law, told ET that the diplomatic ties would not really have an effect on Canadian immigration.

“The presence of Indian nationals or people of this descent in Canada is very strong. They contribute to the Canadian economy and politically too, to quite an extent. However, keeping in mind the recent diplomatic relationship, it is not expected to have any effect on immigration,” Long explained.

It would be unconstitutional if the government here limits people based on nationality, she added.

As for Canada, it is not immune from racist attacks based on world events. Asians in Canada were targeted by some intolerant Canadians for the Covid-19 pandemic.

Anxious Parents

Parents of Indian students currently enrolled in Canada are also anxious for their kids’ safety.

“Concerns among families are growing, not only for those students who have already departed for Canada but also for those currently studying there. In the event of escalating geopolitical tensions, these concerns are expected to rise further," Collegify co-founder Adarsh Khandelwal told ET.

Also read: Visa fears weigh heavy on minds of Indian students headed for Canada

For someone from India, if this would be a right time to pursue education in Canada, Saurabh Arora, CEO and Founder of University Living ,believes it is essential for students to adopt a patient and informed approach.

“Rushed judgments based on isolated events aren’t advisable. Both governments will implement measures to address the situation. Caution is warranted, but panic should be avoided,” he added.

Further, Arora advised that students should stay updated and exercise patience as the situation unfolds, ensuring they make informed decisions regarding their education in Canada.

According to data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, a record 2,26,450 Indian students went to study in Canada last year. Indian students accounted for 41 per cent of the 5,51,405 students from 184 countries who entered Canada in 2022.

India calls Canada a ‘safe haven for terrorists’ after suspending visas for Canadian nationals

By Rhea Mogul and Manveena Suri,

 CNN

Fri September 22, 2023

New Delhi CNN —

India has called Canada a “safe haven for terrorists” following its suspension of visas for Canadian citizens, as the fallout grows over Ottawa’s accusation that New Delhi is potentially behind the assassination of a Sikh separatist activist on its soil.

In a strongly worded statement to reporters Thursday, India’s foreign ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said Canada needed to “worry about its international reputation” in the wake of its explosive allegations.

He added: “If you’re talking about reputational issues and reputational damage, if there’s any country that needs to look at this, I think it’s Canada and its growing reputation as a place, as a safe haven for terrorists, for extremists, and for organized crime.”

His comments followed India’s move to suspend visa applications for Canadian citizens over what it says are “security threats” against diplomats in the country.

“The issue is of incitement of violence, the inaction by the Canadian authorities, the creation of an environment that disrupts the functioning of our high commission and consulates, that’s what’s making us stop temporarily the issuance of visas or providing visa services,” Bagchi added.

India suspends visas for Canadian nationals as diplomatic spat deepens

Relations between the two countries plummeted this week after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said India was potentially behind the June killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Sikh separatist activist, who was gunned down by two masked men in Surrey, British Columbia.

India has vehemently denied the claims, calling them “absurd and motivated.” Bagchi said Canada has provided “no specific information” to support the allegations.

India’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on Thursday issued an advisory to television channels, asking them to refrain from “giving any platform to persons who are facing serious charges, such as terrorism or belonging to organizations proscribed by law.”

The Indian government has long accused Canada of inaction in dealing with what it says is Sikh separatist extremism aimed at creating a separate Sikh homeland that would be known as Khalistan and include parts of India’s Punjab state.

Nijjar was an outspoken supporter of the creation of Khalistan. India considers calls for Khalistan a grave national security threat.

A number of groups associated with the idea of Khalistan are listed as “terrorist organizations” under India’s Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). Nijjar’s name appears on the list of UAPA terrorists and in 2020, the Indian National Investigation Agency accused him of “trying to radicalize the Sikh community across the world in favor of the creation of ‘Khalistan.’”

Several Sikh organizations overseas say the movement is being falsely equated with terrorism by the Indian government, and say they will continue to peacefully advocate for the creation of Khalistan, while bringing to light what they say is years of human rights abuses faced by the community in India.

The history of Khalistan

Sikhs once had their own kingdom in the Punjab and the push for the creation of Khalistan dates back decades, to around the time India gained independence from its British colonial rulers in 1947.

When Partition hastily divided the former colony along religious lines – sending Muslims to the newly formed nation of Pakistan, and Hindus and Sikhs to newly independent India – Punjab, which was sliced in half, saw some of the worst violence.

Sikhs suffered heavily in the ensuing bloodshed, and the community felt mistreated in the new Hindu-majority nation, prompting some prominent leaders to advocate for the creation of Khalistan. Over the years, violent clashes have erupted between followers of the movement and the Indian government, claiming many lives.

In the 1980s, Punjab witnessed a decade-long insurgency by some Khalistani militants, who committed a series of human rights abuses, including the massacre of civilians, indiscriminate bombings and attacks on Hindus, according to Human Rights Watch.

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In counterinsurgency operations, Indian security forces arbitrarily detained, tortured, executed, and “disappeared” tens of thousands of Sikhs, the rights group said. The Indian government also enacted counterinsurgency legislation that facilitated human rights violations and shielded security forces from accountability for these violations, it added.

In 1984, then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi ordered Indian troops to storm Amritsar’s Golden Temple – Sikhism’s holiest shrine – to kill Sikh separatists, in an operation that caused huge anger within the Sikh community.

Gandhi was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards in the aftermath, prompting a renewed bout of violence that killed more than 3,000 people, mostly Sikhs.

A year later the violence spilled over to Canada, when Sikh separatists bombed an Air India plane that had taken off from Toronto airport, killing all 329 people aboard, including numerous Canadians of Indian descent.

The Khalistan movement now

There is no insurgency in Punjab today and analysts say supporters of the Khalistan movement remain very much on the margins in India.

However, the movement continues to evoke a level of sympathy from some Sikhs within the global diaspora, particularly in Canada, Britain and Australia.

A small but influential number of those Sikhs support the idea of Khalistan, with referendums periodically held to reach a consensus to establish a separate homeland.

Nijjar’s death shocked and outraged many within the Sikh community in Canada, which has more than 770,000 members and is one of the largest outside India.

Canadian police have not arrested anyone in connection with Nijjar’s murder. But in August, police said they were investigating three suspects and issued a description of a possible getaway vehicle, asking for the public’s help.

Surveillance of Indian diplomats led to claims over Sikh’s slaying, Canadian official says


Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, seen in January, set off a diplomatic crisis this week when he said there were “credible allegations” that India was involved in the fatal shooting of a Sikh separatist outside Vancouver in June.
(Andrew Harnik / Associated Press)

BY ROB GILLIES
ASSOCIATED PRESS

SEPT. 22, 2023 

TORONTO —

The allegation of India’s involvement in the killing of a Sikh Canadian is based on surveillance of Indian diplomats in Canada, including intelligence provided by a major ally, a Canadian official told the Associated Press on Thursday.

The official said that the communications involved Indian officials and Indian diplomats in Canada and that some of the intelligence was provided by a member of the “Five Eyes” intelligence-sharing alliance, which consists of the U.S., Britain, Australia, New Zealand and Canada.

The official did not say which ally provided intelligence or give details of what was contained in the communications or how they were obtained. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.

The Canadian Broadcasting Corp. first reported the intelligence.

The revelation came as India stopped issuing visas to Canadian citizens and told Canada to reduce its diplomatic staff in India as the rift widened over allegations by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of suspected Indian involvement in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a 45-year-old Sikh separatist, in British Columbia, Canada.


Canada gets only muted allied support in its faceoff with India over slain activist
Sept. 21, 2023


Ties between the two countries have plunged to their lowest point in years after Trudeau told Parliament on Monday that there were “credible allegations” of Indian involvement in Nijjar’s fatal shooting.

Nijjar, a plumber who was born in India and became a Canadian citizen in 2007, had been wanted by India for years before he was gunned down in June outside the temple he led in Surrey, a suburb of Vancouver.

Speaking Thursday on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, Trudeau acknowledged the complicated diplomatic situation.

“The decision to share these allegations on the floor of the House of Commons was not done lightly,” he said. “There is no question that India is a country of growing importance and a country that we need to continue to work with.”

“We are not looking to provoke or cause problems, but we are unequivocal around the importance of the rule of law and unequivocal about the importance of protecting Canadians.”


India tells citizens to be careful if traveling to Canada as rift widens over Sikh leader’s death  Sept. 20, 2023

The bombshell allegation set off an international tit-for-tat, with each country expelling one of the other’s diplomats. India called the allegations “absurd.”

Canada has yet to make public any evidence to back Trudeau’s allegations, and Canada’s ambassador to the U.N., Bob Rae, indicated that that might not come soon.

“This is very early days,” Rae told reporters Thursday, adding that the facts will emerge but must “come out in the course of the pursuit of justice.”

“That’s what we call the rule of law in Canada,” he said.

Meanwhile, the company that processes Indian visas in Canada announced that services had been suspended. Canadians are among the top travelers to India, with 277,000 Canadian citizens visiting the country in 2022, according to India’s Bureau of Immigration.

Indian External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi blamed the visa suspension, which includes visas issued in third countries, on safety issues.

“Security threats being faced by our high commission and consulates in Canada have disrupted their normal functioning,” Bagchi told reporters. He gave no details on the alleged threats.

The announcement quickly rippled across Canada, especially among people with ties to India.

Maitreyi Bhatt, a 27-year-old Indian citizen whose partner is Canadian and needs a visa, was distraught because their wedding was scheduled for late October in India, where he was to meet her family for the first time.

“I’ve been crying all day,” she said. “It’s so difficult. I was just so excited for him to meet my family.”

She said the venue is booked and the couple has nonrefundable flights. She said her partner went to the Indian Consulate in Toronto but was escorted out by security.

“People like me are just caught up in this, and it’s just not fair,” she said.

The Canadian High Commission in New Delhi said Thursday that its consulates in India were open and continue to serve clients. It said some of its diplomats had received threats on social media, and that Canada expects India to provide security for Canadian diplomats and consular officers working there.

India has criticized Canada for years over giving free rein to Sikh separatists, including Nijjar. New Delhi had accused him of links to terrorism, which he denied.

Nijjar was a local leader in what remains of a once-strong movement to create an independent Sikh homeland known as Khalistan. A bloody Sikh insurgency shook north India in the 1970s and 1980s until it was crushed in a government crackdown in which thousands of people were killed, including prominent Sikh leaders.

At the time of his killing, Nijjar was working to organize an unofficial Sikh diaspora referendum on independence from India.