Citing thin Canadian presence, Canada retrenches India staffers
Citing thin Canadian presence, Canada retrenches India staffers
NEW DELHI: Canada has retrenched dozens of Indian staffers from its diplomatic missions in India apparently because of the reduction of Canadian staff available to “effectively manage and maintain in-country operations”. India had last year expelled 41 Canadian diplomats to ensure parity in diplomatic presence, following which Canada had shut in-person operations in its Mumbai, Chandigarh, and Bengaluru consulates.
There was no official word on the number of employees retrenched but it doesn’t apparently exceed 100. Confirming the “staff reductions”, a media relations official in the high commission said the decision was sadly necessary given the departure of Canadian staff last year.
“We wish to express our sincere gratitude for the resilience, dedication and service of our local staff in India. Canada will continue to deliver core services to Canadians in India, including consular support and for trade and business development – so that the citizens of our two countries can continue to benefit from the longstanding ties between Canadians and Indians,” said the official adding that Canada’s visa application centres in India are operating as normal.”
Despite the strained ties, Canada has maintained it has strong connections with Indian citizens, and will continue to welcome them, whether they come to visit, work, study, or live permanently in the country. India had not expected Canada to shut its services in the consulates as its decision to expel diplomats was meant only to seek parity in diplomatic representations only in the respective high commissions in Delhi and Ottawa.
India had expelled the diplomats after a diplomatic spat with Canada that resulted from Canadian PM Justin Trudeau’s allegation that Indian government officials were involved in the murder of Khalistan leader Hardeep Nijjar in the Vancouver area. The Indian government accused the diplomats of interfering in India’s internal affairs.
Trudeau raised the Nijjar issue again on Wednesday, while testifying before a committee that is probing allegations of foreign interference in Canadian allegations, saying his government remains committed to protecting the freedoms of Canadians. While responding to questions about how his government handled the alleged foreign interference, Trudeau also accused the previous Conservative government of having a “very cosy relationship with the current Indian government”.
“The principle that anyone who comes to Canada from anywhere in the world has all the rights of a Canadian to be free from extortion, coercion, interference from a country that they left behind…and how we have stood up for Canadians, including in the very serious case that I brought forward to Parliament of the killing of Nijjar, demonstrates our government’s commitment to defending the rights and freedoms of Canadians for which so many people crossed oceans and continents,” he said.
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