Is India resuming visa services for Canadians? MEA answers

In a recent development in the ongoing diplomatic saga between India and Canada, Union External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has hinted at the possibility of resuming visa services for Canadian citizens, but with a critical caveat – “if it sees progress” in the safety of its diplomats posted in Canada.

Last month, India took the unprecedented step of suspending visa services for Canadian nationals, citing serious security threats to its diplomats in Canadian missions.

Visa services Updates for Canada

This decision came in the wake of a major diplomatic controversy triggered by the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen who had been designated a terrorist by New Delhi. Nijjar was tragically gunned down in the parking lot of a Gurudwara in Surrey on June 18 of this year.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau further escalated the situation when he informed his country’s Parliament that there was “credible allegation evidence” connecting agents of New Delhi to the extra-judicial killing of Nijjar. In response, Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly expelled an Indian diplomat, worsening the already strained ties between the two nations.

However, India vehemently rejected Trudeau’s allegations, dismissing them as “absurd and politically driven.” New Delhi demanded specific evidence to substantiate the Canadian prime minister’s claims, a request that went unanswered, further exacerbating the diplomatic standoff.

To complicate matters, India invoked the principle of parity in diplomatic strength between nations, instructing Canada to withdraw 41 of its diplomats stationed across India. Canada recently recalled all but 21 of its diplomats and also halted visa services in its consulate offices in Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Chandigarh.

In an official statement, Foreign Minister Melanie Joly accused India of violating the Vienna Convention of Diplomatic Relations, a charge that India promptly refuted.

Jaishankar clarified India’s position, saying, “Parity is very much provided for by the Vienna Convention, which is the relevant international rule on this. In our case, we invoked parity because we had concerns about continuous interference in our affairs by Canadian personnel.”

The suspension of visa services for Canadian citizens has not only impacted travel plans but has also added an air of uncertainty to the already complex India-Canada relationship. As diplomatic negotiations continue, the international community watches closely, hoping for a peaceful resolution to this escalating dispute.

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