TRENTON, Canada – Canada has pulled 41 diplomats from India after New Delhi threatened to strip them of diplomatic immunity, Foreign Minister Melanie Joly announced at a press conference Thursday.
Joly said having their “immunity stripped” by India on the stated deadline of Friday (Oct 20) would put the Canadian diplomats at risk, reported Anadolu Agency.
“This means our diplomats and their families have left,” she said. Diplomatic immunity is a shield that protects diplomats serving in other countries from being arrested and is guaranteed under international law.
However, Joly said Canada will not reciprocate and India’s diplomats will not be expelled and will continue to enjoy immunity.
Relations between the two countries nose-dived Sept 18 after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau publicly accused India of being involved in the assassination of Canadian Sikh Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
He was gunned down by two masked assailants in the parking lot of a Sikh temple in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 19. No arrests have been made.
Trudeau called for India to cooperate in an investigation of the murder and Joly said at Thursday’s press conference that Canada “will continue to engage with India.”
That leaves Canada with 21 diplomats to handle consular services in India, which will negatively impact services provided there, said Minister of Immigration Marc Miller, who held the joint press conference with Joly.
Canadian diplomatic missions in India are among the busiest due to heavy Indian student and migration traffic from Canada.
India was the top source of permanent residents, migrant foreign workers, and international students in Canada in 2022.
“I want to reassure our clients in India and Canadians who have family and friends in India that Canada will continue to accept and process all temporary and permanent resident applications from India,” said Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Minister Marc Miller.
Canada has about 1.5 million people of Indian ethnic or cultural origin.
More than 770,000 of them are Sikhs, making Canada the largest centre of Sikh diaspora.
More than 178,000 non-resident Indians (NRIs), or Indian nationals who are residents abroad, are also based in Canada.- Bernama
