Canada reassures folks named Singh, Kaur

CANADA: Ottawa’s immigration minister reversed a standing policy that required immigrants to Canada with the surnames Singh or Kaur to change them to avoid applicant mix-ups, after a backlash.

“It has been brought to my attention that a letter was sent to an applicant telling him that unless he provided an additional surname in addition to other documentation, his application for permanent residence may not be processed,” Diane Finley, minister of citizenship and immigration said in a statement.

“This letter does not reflect the policy of Canada’s government, and I can assure you I have directed the department to ensure that this type of erroneous letter is not sent out again.”

The names Singh and Kaur for males and females, respectively, have been in use amongst Sikhs worldwide for over 300 years.

They were given to all initiated Sikhs to represent the abolition of class and caste inequalities in Indian society.

A furor erupted after would-be immigrants in New Delhi complained to authorities that the administrative policy was unfair.

According to reports, hundreds of thousands of people named Singh or Kaur are currently looking to immigrate to Canada.

“The practice of asking applicants with the surname ‘Singh’ and ‘Kaur’ to provide an additional surname was designed to help identify and differentiate applicants who shared the same first and last names. Providing an additional surname is entirely voluntary,” Finley said.

“The policy of Canada’s government is that applicants with the surnames ‘Singh’ or ‘Kaur’ may, but are not required to, provide an additional surname.

“No application for permanent residence will be rejected if the applicant chooses not to provide an additional surname,” the minister added.

Ottawa, Friday, AFP