The fragile diplomatic relations between India and Canada took another turn for the worse, as it surfaces that Canada’s foreign minister has recalled 41 of its diplomats from India.
This relocation comes after the Indian government decided to revoke their diplomatic immunity in yet another escalation over the slaying of a Sikh separatist in Canada.
The relations began to deteriorate after Canada alleged that India may have been involved in the June killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in suburban Vancouver.
While India has accused Canada of continually harboring separatists and terrorists, it has also dismissed the allegation of its involvement as ‘absurd.’
New Delhi has since taken multiple diplomatic steps to express its anger over the accusation.
Associated Press reported:
“Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly said Thursday that 41 of Canada’s 62 diplomats in India have been removed, along with their dependents. Joly said exceptions have been made for 21 Canadian diplomats who will remain in India.
‘Forty one Canadian diplomats and their 42 dependents were in danger of having their immunity stripped on an arbitrary date and this would put their personal safety at risk’, Joly said. ‘Our diplomats and their families have now left’.
[…] ‘A unilateral revocation of the diplomatic privilege and immunity is contrary to international law and a clear violation of the Geneva Convention on diplomatic relations. Threatening to do so is unreasonable and escalatory’, Joly said.”
The removal of personnel in Canadian consulates will impact the level of services to citizens of both countries, and pause in-person services in Chandigarh, Mumbai and Bangalore.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau opened this season of distrust when he publicly declared that there were “credible allegations” of Indian involvement in the slaying of Nijjar.
The 45-year-old Sikh leader, a Canadian citizen, was killed by masked gunmen in June in Surrey, outside Vancouver.
India long had said that Nijjar had links to Sikh terrorism.
In retaliation to the accusation, India has also canceled visas for Canadians. India previously expelled a senior Canadian diplomat after Canada expelled a senior Indian diplomat.
“The official said that the communications involved Indian officials and diplomats in Canada and that some of the intelligence was provided by a member of the ‘Five Eyes’ intelligence-sharing alliance, which includes the United States, Britain, Australia and New Zealand, in addition to Canada. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.”
These latest expulsions by India have escalated the already heightened tensions between the countries. Joly stated that India has now violated the Vienna convention on diplomatic relations.
Reuters reported:
“‘Given the implications of India’s actions on the safety of our diplomats, we have facilitated their safe departure from India’, [Foreign Minister Joly] told a press conference.
‘If we allow the norm of diplomatic immunity to be broken, no diplomats anywhere on the planet would be safe. So for this reason, we will not reciprocate’, she said.”
The Canadian Immigration Minister Marc Miller reminded that the diplomats’ departure meant Canada would slash the number of embassy staff dealing with immigration.
“‘We acknowledge the concerns and frustrations that this situation may cause for clients, families, educational institutions, communities, businesses in Canada as a whole’, he told the press conference.”
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