Source: CanWest News Service
http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/news/story.html?id=2be66db5-e6bf-47fc-84cb-43c0fd1fe53a
The federal government hasn't forced potential Sikh immigrants to change their last names, Citizenship and Immigration Minister Diane Finley said Thursday, blaming the recent controversy on ambiguous documents being circulated by the Canadian high commission in New Delhi.
"I can assure you I have directed the department to ensure that this type of erroneous letter is not sent out again," she said in a statement. "No application for permanent residence will be rejected if the application chooses not to provide an additional surname." The World Sikh Organization expressed anger this week over claims that the federal government was recommending people with the surnames Singh and Kaur add an additional name to distinguish themselves.
The confusing 10-year-old policy earned international attention when Jaspal Singh, hoping to join his wife in Calgary, received a letter in May from the New Delhi high commission saying his common name was delaying his application.