OTTAWA (April 21, 2026) — The World Sikh Organization of Canada (WSO) has officially released its highly anticipated national Anti-Sikh Hate Report, providing one of the most comprehensive examinations of anti-Sikh bias in the country to date. A copy of the written statement and the full report, titled Understanding & Addressing Anti-Sikh Hate in Canada, is available with Sikh Siyasat News (SSN). Funded by the Canada Race Relations Foundation, the study draws on more than 1,600 survey responses and insights gathered from town halls held across the nation.
The findings paint a concerning picture of the realities faced by Sikh Canadians, detailing serious impacts on safety, mental health, and daily life. According to the data presented in the report:
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80% of respondents believe anti-Sikh hate has increased over the past five years.
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91% of visibly identifiable Sikhs reported being targeted.
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65% reported experiencing verbal harassment, which ranks as the most common form of hate.
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65% reported significant impacts on their mental health, including anxiety, trauma, and depression.
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70% of victims did not report incidents to authorities, citing fear, a sense of futility, or a distinct lack of institutional trust.
The report identifies two primary drivers fueling this alarming trend: domestic racism and xenophobia, coupled with transnational repression and disinformation linked to India.
Incidents of hate are occurring across a variety of settings, including schools, workplaces, public spaces, and airports. The WSO highlighted disproportionate impacts on Sikh women, international students, and visibly identifiable Sikhs.
Notably, the statistics from Québec stand out. The report reveals that 89% of French-speaking Sikhs in Québec have experienced anti-Sikh hate, compared to 65% of their non-French-speaking counterparts. The WSO suggests this challenges the assumption that cultural and linguistic integration reduces discrimination; instead, greater visibility may heighten exposure to bias. The organization contextualizes these findings within Québec’s Bill 21, which bans public servants in positions of authority from wearing religious symbols. The report argues that this law contributes to a climate that normalizes exclusion and deepens intolerance toward religious minorities.
Furthermore, the WSO points to the growing influence of anti-Sikh narratives originating from India. The report notes that 54% of respondents faced hate based on their political views or perceived support for Khalistan.
“The Anti-Sikh Hate Report is the first of its kind in Canada and represents the largest dataset of Sikh experiences in the country to date,” said WSO President Danish Singh. “The findings confirm what our community has felt for some time, that anti-Sikh hate is rising and is having a serious impact on Sikh Canadians, who are navigating harassment and discrimination in their daily lives simply because of who they are.”
Singh emphasized that current institutional responses are failing to meet the scale of the challenge. “Governments, institutions, and civil society must take meaningful action to ensure that anti-Sikh hate is effectively addressed,” he added.
To combat this rising tide of intolerance, the report calls for urgent, concrete actions, including:
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Adopting a formal, recognized definition of anti-Sikh hate.
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Improving hate crime tracking and the disaggregation of data.
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Investing heavily in public education and awareness campaigns.
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Directly addressing transnational repression and disinformation.
The report officially launched this past Saturday at Brampton City Hall, featuring speakers such as Senator Baltej Singh Dhillon, Gurbaj Singh Multani, and Dr. Jaspreet Kaur Bal. Subsequent launch events are scheduled across the country, including Surrey on April 24, Calgary on April 25, and Winnipeg on April 26.
