Khalistani groups receive financial support from Canada for politically motivated violence within the country: Report

OTTAWA: Several terrorist entities, including violent Khalistani extremist groups, continue to receive financial support originating from Canada for activities linked to politically motivated violence in the country, according to a new report released by the Canadian Department of Finance.

The 2025 Assessment of Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Risks places certain Khalistani groups, including Babbar Khalsa International and the International Sikh Youth Federation, under the category of Politically Motivated Violent Extremism (PMVE) and suspects them of exploiting funding networks, including those in the non-profit and charitable sectors, to support their objectives.

The assessment defines PMVE as “the use of violence to establish new political systems or new structures and norms within existing systems”. These groups are designated as terrorist entities under the Canadian Criminal Code, which is also includes Hamas and Hezbollah.

It clarifies that while such extremism may include religious elements, it is primarily driven by political self-determination or representation rather than by racial or ethnic supremacy.

“Several terrorist entities listed under the Criminal Code in Canada that fall under the PMVE category, such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Khalistani violent extremist groups Babbar Khalsa International and the International Sikh Youth Federation, have been observed by law enforcement and intelligence agencies to receive financial support originating from Canada,” the report read.

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Notably, Canada’s financial intelligence agency, FINTRAC, in its 2022 Operational Alert, had identified Hezbollah as the second most frequently identified international terrorist group receiving funds from Canada. The new 2025 assessment elaborates on the financing methods employed by PMVE groups. Khalistani extremist elements, particularly those advocating violent means to establish an independent state in Punjab, are also suspected of raising funds through similar channels.

Meanwhile, Hamas and Hezbollah, described as “well-resourced”, are known to exploit multiple avenues, including money service businesses (MSBs), the banking sector, cryptocurrencies, state sponsorship, and the misuse of charities and non-profit organisations (NPOs). “These groups previously had an extensive fundraising network in Canada but now appear to consist of smaller pockets of individuals with allegiance to the cause but seemingly no particular affiliation to a specific group”, the report notes.

One of the key concerns raised in the report was the abuse of non-profit and charitable activities, a method widely documented in the case of Hamas and Hezbollah. Khalistani networks have similarly solicited donations from diaspora communities, including through NPOs, to raise and transfer funds.

“The misuse of the charitable and NPO sectors has been observed as a prominent financing method used by Hamas and Hezbollah. Khalistani violent extremist groups have also been known to use networks to solicit donations from diaspora communities to raise and move funds, including through NPOs. Despite these observations, it is estimated that revenue generation through NPO abuse represents a relatively small percentage of operational budgets of terrorist groups overall,” the report read.

Earlier, Canada’s premier intelligence agency, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), officially acknowledged that Khalistani extremists are using Canadian soil to promote, fundraise, and plan violence in India. In its annual report released in June, CSIS outlined some key concerns and threats to Canada’s national security.

The Canadian intelligence agency CSIS report categorically states, “Khalistani extremists continue to use Canada as a base for the promotion, fundraising or planning of violence primarily in India.”

India has been raising concerns about Khalistani extremists operating from Canadian soil for years, but Canada has largely turned a blind eye to the issue. The CSIS report confirmed that Canada has become a safe haven for anti-India elements, validating India’s concerns that have been raised for years.

The PMVE threat in Canada has manifested primarily through Canada-based Khalistani extremists (CBKEs) seeking to create an independent nation-state called Khalistan, largely within Punjab in India. The report noted that since the mid-1980s, the PMVE threat in Canada has manifested primarily through CBKEs.

This revelation, part of CSIS’s latest annual report, has reignited concerns about foreign interference and extremist activity within Canada, particularly in the context of its sensitive diplomatic relationship with India. Canada’s own intelligence security has confirmed what New Delhi has long maintained — that Canada has become a safe haven for anti-India elements. The report called for sustained vigilance against both external influence campaigns and domestic extremist financing networks. (ANI)