Trudeau again took such a step, reduced the number of Indian staff from Canadian missions in India.

The Justin Trudeau-led Canadian government has reduced the number of local staff in its missions across India, five months after Ottawa recalled more than two-thirds of its diplomats in October last year.

Why has Canada cut staff in Indian missions?

Canada has cited the shortage of diplomatic personnel at the High Commission in New Delhi and three consulates in Mumbai, Chandigarh and Bengaluru as the reason for the lack of Canadian supervisory personnel needed for the effective management of operations in India. I can confirm that the Government of Canada has implemented some staff reductions across our network of missions in India. A Canadian High Commission official said the decision to implement cuts to the network of our missions in India was sadly necessary given the shortage of Canadian staff available to effectively manage and maintain operations in the country. A media relations officer at the High Commission also said that the decision was taken after the return of Canadian diplomats in October 2023. Last October, a clampdown on diplomatic representation by New Delhi had withdrawn 41 diplomats from India after it attacked Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegations that Indians were behind the killing of Khalistani terrorists and a Canadian citizen, Hardeep Singh. Agents were involved.

Will operations at the Canadian High Commission in India be affected?

The High Commission official said Canada will continue to provide core services to Canadians in India, including consular support and trade and business development – ​​so that citizens of both our countries can benefit from the long-standing relationship between Canadians and Indians. Keep meeting. We can also confirm that Canada’s visa application centers in India are functioning normally, the official said. The official said that we would like to express our heartfelt gratitude for the resilience, dedication and service of our local employees in India.

What’s the number now?

Although no specific number of local employees laid off this time has been disclosed, it is being said that this number is significant.

india-canada relations

Diplomatic relations between India and Canada hit a new low in September last year after Trudeau alleged the involvement of Indian government officials in the killing of Nijjar in the Vancouver area in June 2023. The Prime Minister of Canada reiterated his concerns about the Nijjar case during his testimony before a committee investigating allegations of foreign interference in Canadian affairs. He reaffirmed his government’s commitment to protecting the rights and freedoms of Canadians.