‘Extremists are getting aid from inside Canada’

TORONTO: Canada has officially acknowledged that Khalistani violent extremist groups receive financial support from within its borders, according to a government risk assessment report released by the finance ministry.

- Anirudh Bhattacharyya

The admission comes in the “2025 Assessment of Money Laundering and Terrorist Funding Risks in Canada,” published by the ministry of finance and revenue, which states that such groups “have been observed by law enforcement and intelligence agencies to receive finan-Cial support originating from Canada.”

The Canadian government categorises terrorist threats into three broad categories: ideologically motivated violent extremism (IMVE), politically motivated violent extremism (PMVE), and religiously motivated violent extremism (RMVE). Pro-Khalistan organisations fall under the PMVE category, alongside other designated terrorist entities including Hamas and Hezbollah.

Two specific Khalistani groups — Babbar Khalsa International and the International Sikh Youth Federation — are explicitly listed as terrorist entities under Canada’s Criminal Code and identified in the report as receiving financial support from Canadian sources.