American singer Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour has sparked a diplomatic row as she is performing six sold-out shows in Singapore, which have disappointed the country’s neighbours, as per a report in the Independent. The exclusivity clause negotiated by Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, which forbids Ms Swift from performing anywhere else in Southeast Asia, has led to a backlash among the city-state’s neighbours over the arrangement, which is estimated to be worth about 14 million pounds.

The ‘Lover’ singer is performing six shows in Singapore from March 2 to 9. Thailand and the Philippines have criticised the same and have branded the deal “unfriendly”. They have expressed that they are being deprived of the increase in tourism linked to her concerts.

Thailand Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said that he was informed of the agreement that Ms Swift will not do any other shows in the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN). Citing a concert promoter, he said that Singapore offered Ms Swift up to US$3 million per concert if she did not play anywhere else in Southeast Asia, according to Sky News.

“The Singapore government is astute. If she came to Thailand, it would have been cheaper to organise it here, and I believe she would be able to attract more sponsors and tourists to Thailand. Even though we would have to subsidise at least 500m baht, it would be worth it,” he said.

The Thai PM said in a keynote speech at the iBusiness Forum 2024 in Bangkok, “If I had known this, I would have brought the shows to Thailand. Concerts can generate added value for the economy.”

Filipino lawmaker Joey Salceda said that the deal  “isn’t what good neighbours do”. “Our countries are good friends. That’s why actions like that hurt.” Although he mentioned that it boosted Singapore’s economy, it was done “at the expense of neighbouring countries, which could not attract their own foreign concertgoers, and whose fans had to go to Singapore.” He further said that the Philippines should not “just let things like these pass.”

Meanwhile, the Singapore PM confirmed that Ms Swift was provided with “certain incentives” from a government fund created to revive Singapore’s tourism sector following the Covid-19 outbreak. “It has turned out to be a very successful arrangement. I don’t see that as being unfriendly. Sometimes one country makes a deal, sometimes another country does. I don’t explicitly say ‘you will come here only on condition that you’ll not go to other places,” he added.

Additionally, he suggested that when Ms Swift performed shows in Sydney and Melbourne before her performance in Singapore, Australia may have come to similar “mutually acceptable, sensible arrangements.” “If that’s what’s needed to be done to get an outcome which is mutually beneficial and which, from Singapore’s point of view, serves not just to grow the economy but also to bring in visitors and goodwill from all over the region, I don’t see why not,” Singapore PM Lee Hsien Loong said.

He stated, “If we had not made such an arrangement, would she have come to someplace else in southeast Asia or more places in southeast Asia? Maybe, maybe not. These are things that she will decide.”

A protester races his fist as he speaks, during a protest outside India’s consulate, a week after Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau raised the prospect of New Delhi’s involvement in the murder of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada September 25, 2023.
| Photo Credit: REUTERS

When Dilpreet Singh Chandhoke applied for a Canadian visa in April this year, he hoped to visit his sister’s family in Canada within a few days. His brother-in-law had been diagnosed with a terminal ailment, and as her eldest brother, he wanted to be at his sister’s side in her family’s hour of crisis.

Based in Dubai, the 42-year-old had not faced any problems travelling for work. However, the days of waiting turned into weeks and then months, until Canadian authorities responded on October 12, rejecting his visa application, saying, “The purpose of your visit to Canada is not consistent with a temporary stay given the details you have provided in your application.”

“As a 42-year old Indian passport holder who has his family in Delhi and Dubai, I have no desire to shift all the way to Canada. My sole purpose is to be with my sister who is facing a heartbreaking situation because of my brother in law’s ailment. This rejection is totally irrational,” Mr. Chandhoke told The Hindu. He is determined to appeal the rejection, arguing that his brother-in-law may not live long.

‘Row hurts common people’

With Canada stopping “walk-in” services at its consulates in Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Chandigarh, in response to India’s demand for a reduction in the number of Canadian diplomats stationed in the country, Mr. Chandhoke’s plight may soon be witnessed by more visa applicants across the country.

Mr. Chandhoke feels that his visa application was a collateral victim of the ongoing spat between India and Canada, which erupted after Canada accused Indian agents of being behind the June 18 murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Khalistan Tiger Force chief, in Surrey, British Columbia. India has already stopped providing visa services to Canadian citizens at its missions across the world, and the Canadian move is now aimed at hurting Indians, he said. “That is the only reason that has hurt my visa prospects. Why should we, the common people, suffer if governments of two countries are caught up in a quarrel?” he asked.

However, even without a diplomatic row to complicate matters, many Indian visa seekers have been hit hard by long application processes and unexplained rejections.

Missed opportunities

Faizan Mohammed of Khajuraho and his friend Anurag Kumar of Delhi, both tourism consultants, had recently applied for Spanish visas, in hopes of studying the Spanish language in Madrid. “My clients in Khajuraho are mostly from Spain and Italy and that is why I had applied for a higher degree at N L College in Madrid. We had shown all the necessary documents including financial viability, but finally the visa was denied after a month-long waiting period,” Mr. Mohammed said. As he was required to submit his Indian passport to the Spanish embassy for the month-long visa process, he missed out on applying for another opportunity in Oman, he complained.

The tourist consultants say they had also paid 2,600 euros each for the course, even before getting their visas. “We have paid our fees and can’t join the course that we were planning to complete. In addition, the N L College is not returning our money which they are rule-bound to return within 20 days,” said Mr. Kumar.

Several embassies, including the U.S. embassy, have claimed that they have taken strong measures to remedy the backlog and make visa services effective and quick, but human experiences on the ground show that much remains to be implemented. As visas are documents granted by a sovereign state to foreign citizens to facilitate time-bound travel to the host country, they are within their right to reject applications. Yet, such applications also carry the dreams and aspirations of applicants, and a visa denial often leaves a traumatic imprint.