Canada temporarily adjusts staff presence in India amid rising political tensions

Amid ongoing diplomatic tensions between New Delhi and Ottawa, the Canada High Commission in the national capital has announced plans to ‘adjust’ staff presence at India missions. In a statement released on Thursday, the Canadian mission stressed that the decision is being taken “out of an abundance of caution" in response to threats on social media platforms.

“In light of the current environment where tensions have heightened, we are taking action to ensure the safety of our diplomats. With some diplomats having received threats on various social media platforms, Global Affairs Canada is assessing its staff complement in India," the mission said in a statement. “As a result, and out of an abundance of caution, we have decided to temporarily adjust staff presence in India."

In the statement, the Canadian mission said that all of its locations are staffed by diplomats and locally engaged staff to ensure business and operational continuity. “Global Affairs Canada will continue to take all appropriate measures to protect the health and safety of all our personnel, including locally-engaged staff, and to protect our operations in India. Decisions are made based on a number of factors including the professional profile of an employee or personal circumstances," it added.

In a further indication of the deepening divide, India issued an advisory on Wednesday urging its citizens residing in Canada and those planning to travel there to exercise "utmost caution." This advisory cited growing anti-India activities, "politically-condoned" hate crimes, and "criminal violence" in Canada. The strain in India-Canada relations has been exacerbated by the perceived inaction of the Trudeau government in addressing India's concerns regarding pro-Khalistani elements in Canada.