India-Canada Strains: New Delhi to revoke diplomatic immunity; resulting in Canada vacating 41 diplomats & 42 other staff members from India

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• Oct 20, 2023 | Poonam Nath

India has long claimed that the Canadian citizen, who was born in India, had ties to terrorism...

Digital Desk: Canada has removed its 41 diplomats and 42 additional employees from India after New Delhi announced that it will suspend their diplomatic immunity.

"As of now, I can confirm that India has formally conveyed its plan to unethically remove diplomatic immunities for all but 21 Canadian diplomats and dependents in Delhi by October 20," Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly stated amid India-Canada diplomatic tensions. 

This meant that 41 Canadian ambassadors and their 42 dependents faced losing their immunity on an arbitrary date, putting their personal safety at risk... Canadians who are following this story may be wondering what this means for our operations in India. There is no doubt that India's decision will have an impact on the levels of service provided to Consulates in both countries. Unfortunately, we must suspend all in-person services at our Consulates in Chandigarh, Mumbai, and Bangalore..." she further added.

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"The safety of Canadians and our diplomats is always my top priority. Given the implications of India's actions for our diplomats' safety, we have assisted their safe departure from India," Joly said.

The Canadian foreign minister went on to say that this would have an impact on the level of services provided to citizens of both nations and that his government was suspending in-person services in three key cities in India.

Diplomatic relations between India and Canada deteriorated after New Delhi strongly objected to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's statement in Parliament last month that there were "credible allegations" of Indian involvement in the slaying of Nijjar, a 45-year-old Sikh leader killed by masked gunmen in Surrey, outside Vancouver, in June.

For years, India claimed that Nijjar, a Canadian citizen born in India, had ties to terrorism, which he denied.

Meanwhile, India has cancelled visas for Canadians, and Canada has not responded. After Canada expelled a senior Indian diplomat, India dismissed a senior Indian diplomat.