Khalistani Groups Funded from Canada for Violence: Report
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
New Delhi: Khalistani extremist groups supporting violent means to establish an independent state within Punjab in India are suspected of raising funds in a number of countries, including Canada, a report of the Canadian government on terror funding has said.
The report titled '2025 Assessment of Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Risks in Canada' has identified two Khalistani extremist groups -- Babbar Khalsa International and the International Sikh Youth Federation --receiving financial support originating from Canada.
“Several terrorist entities listed under the Criminal Code in Canada that fall under the Politically Motivated Violent Extremism (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 said. It added that 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.
While talking about the abuse of non-profit (NPO) and charitable activities, the report said that 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 the operational budgets of terrorist groups overall.
The latest report comes two months after the Canadian Security Intelligence Service's report for 2024, released on June 18, said ongoing involvement in violent activities by Canada-based Khalistani extremists continues to pose a national security threat to Canada and Canadian interests.
