NEW DELHI: Canada has retrenched dozens of Indian staffers from its diplomatic missions in India apparently due to the discount of Canadian employees out there 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 “employees 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 sturdy connections with Indian residents, and can proceed to welcome them, whether or not they come to go to, work, examine, or stay completely within the nation. India had not anticipated Canada to close its companies within the consulates as its resolution to expel diplomats was meant solely to hunt parity in diplomatic representations solely within the respective excessive 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 authorities officers had been concerned within the homicide of Khalistan chief Hardeep Nijjar within the Vancouver space. The Indian authorities accused the diplomats of interfering in India’s inside affairs.
Trudeau raised the Nijjar concern once more on Wednesday, whereas testifying earlier than a committee that’s probing allegations of international interference in Canadian allegations, saying his authorities stays dedicated to defending the freedoms of Canadians. While responding to questions on how his authorities dealt with the alleged international interference, Trudeau additionally accused the earlier Conservative authorities of getting 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 mentioned.