Canada is reducing the number of its diplomats in India because it threatened to take away diplomatic immunity from many Canadian officials. Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly shared this news.Joly said Canada would not respond by asking India to reduce their diplomats in Canada.Joly told reporters on Wednesday, 41 Canadian diplomats, which is most of the mission from Ottawa in India, have left. Along with them, 42 family members also left.Now, only 21 Canadian diplomats are left working in India.There's diplomatic tension between India and Canada. It started when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau claimed India was involved in the killing of a Canadian citizen. Because of this accusation, the Indian government told Canada to reduce its diplomats in India.India gave Canada a choice to either send back 41 diplomats or India would take away their diplomatic immunity.Joly said on Thursday to the reporters Canada had to follow India's decision. The last date for Canada to do this was October 20.“The safety of Canadians, of our diplomats, is always my top concern,” said Joly.“Given the implications of India’s actions on the safety of our diplomats, we have facilitated their safe departure from India. This means that our diplomats and their families have now left and are on their way home.”“Immunities allow diplomats to do their work without fear of reprisal or arrest from the country they are in,” said Joly.“A unilateral revocation of diplomatic privileges and immunities is contrary to international law. It is a clear violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. And threatening to do so is unreasonable and escalatory.”Joly stated this decision has consequences. Because of it, services in three consulates will be downgraded.“Unfortunately, we have had to pause all in-person services at our consulates in Chandigarh, Mumbai and Bangalore,” said Joly. Canada “will continue to engage with India,” she added.“Now more than ever, we need to have diplomats on the ground and we need to talk to one another.”On September 18, Trudeau announced in the House of Commons Canada believed “agents of the Indian government” were behind the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Nijjar advocated for a separate homeland for Sikhs in Punjab, an area in India. He was shot and killed in Surrey, BC, in June.After Trudeau shared this surprising news, Canada quickly sent back an Indian diplomat and a top intelligence officer. India did the same in response.India stopped giving visas to Canadians, including online visas and those given in other countries. Before this, Canada had already paused free-trade discussions and a Canadian business trip to India.India has more than 60 official diplomats in Canada. Three of them are listed as non-residents. This information comes from a list kept by Ottawa's department of Global Affairs.
