No violation of international norms: India as Canada withdraws 41 diplomats

Sandeep Dikshit

New Delhi, October 20

Visa services will be badly affected after Canada withdrew 41 diplomats and 42 accompanying dependents from India following a dictate from the Ministry of External Affairs here.

Seeking diplomatic parity: MEA

State of our bilateral ties, much higher number of Canadian diplomats, and their continued interference in our internal affairs warrant a parity in mutual diplomatic presence. Ministry of External Affairs

Making life hard for millions

GoI is making it difficult for life as usual to continue for millions in India & Canada. And they’re doing it by contravening basic principle of diplomacy. Justin Trudeau, Canadian PM

“I can confirm that India has formally conveyed its plan to unilaterally remove diplomatic immunities for all but 21 Canadian diplomats and dependents in Delhi by tomorrow, October 20,” announced Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Jolie at a press conference.

“We are going to pause all in-person services at our consulates in Chandigarh, Mumbai and Bengaluru,” said Jolie. Her statement suggested only the Delhi window would remain open. Hours later, the MEA said a parity in mutual diplomatic presence in New Delhi and Ottawa was warranted due to “the state of our bilateral relations, the much higher number of Canadian diplomats in India, and their continued interference in our internal affairs”. The MEA said it was engaged with the Canadian side over a month to work out the details and modalities of its implementation. It also shot back at Jolie’s charge that doing so was a “clear violation” of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. “We reject any attempt to portray the implementation of parity as a violation of international norms,” said the MEA.

“We had no choice but to comply. The safety of Canadians, of our diplomats, is always my top concern. India’s decision to declare persona non grata is unreasonable. But we will not retaliate,” Jolie said.

Canada had maintained a much larger complement of diplomatic staff here than India in Canada on the ground that it had to process huge amounts of visas, especially for students, which touched a record 2.26 lakh in 2022. In all, Canadian missions in India processed over six lakh visas last year.

Jolie claimed Indians were suggesting lack of security for diplomats if they did not leave. “The safety of Canadians and of our diplomats is always my top concern. Given the implications of India’s actions on the safety of our diplomats, we have facilitated their safe departure from India,” she said.

The MEA quoted Article 11.1 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations to assert there is no violation in implementation of parity. Article states: “In the absence of specific agreement as to the size of the mission, the receiving state may require that the size of a mission be kept within limits considered by it to be reasonable and normal, having regard to circumstances and conditions in the receiving state and to the needs of the particular mission.”

The fresh development came even as India stopped issuance of visa services in Canada, badly hitting travel to India. The issue was flagged by Rajya Sabha member from Punjab Vikramjit Singh Sahney, who wrote to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar that he was getting calls “every day from Indian diaspora, especially Punjabis, regarding their inability to get Indian visa for family exigencies”.

“Every second home in Punjab has one or other family member in Canada. In case of staff shortage in Indian missions, granting of e-visas can be considered,” he had suggested.

The latest development is due to strained ties after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged a potential Indian Government link in the murder of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil. India and Canada have also thrown out the respective station heads of their intelligence services. Both sides have also issued travel advisories that have raised the level of caution to be exercised by other citizens in the other country.

In-person services in Chandigarh paused

• Canada says it will pause all in-person services at consulates in Chandigarh, Mumbai & Bengaluru, suggesting only Delhi window will remain open now
• Canada had maintained a much larger complement of diplomatic staff than that of India on its shore, saying it had to process huge amounts of visas
• Number of Canadian visas touched record 2.26L in 2022; its missions in India processed over 6L visas last year