Canadian authorities have announced that immigration application processing times for individuals from India will experience disruptions in the short-to-medium term.
Despite diplomatic tensions between the two nations, Canadian officials have emphasized that Indian citizens remain welcome in Canada, and Indian diplomats in Canada will retain their diplomatic protections.
On October 20, Canadian government representatives engaged with immigration lawyers to evaluate the consequences of India’s decision to withdraw certain protections for Canadian diplomats within the country.
Christaine Fox, the Deputy Minister for Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), revealed that 22 out of the 27 IRCC personnel in India have departed the country. Those who remain are responsible for handling essential on-site services, including managing emergency cases, visa issuance, and overseeing immigration medical examinations.
Through adaptations implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Fox stated that IRCC can manage immigration processing for the entire India caseload, which encompasses Bhutan and Nepal. The effects are expected to be relatively short-term, as the 22 staff members relocated from India need time to establish themselves in their new assignments. Ten of them are moving to Manila in the Philippines, and twelve are returning to Canada.
Fox affirmed that the immigration department aims to restore normal processing by early 2024, with expectations of only a minor delay of approximately one week, rather than several months.
Officials, including Canada’s Minister of Public Safety, Rob Stewart, underlined that Indian citizens continue to be embraced in Canada.
What Prompted the Diplomatic Dispute Between Canada and India? On Thursday, October 19, Canada withdrew a significant portion of its diplomats from India following the Indian government’s threat to remove diplomatic immunities from Canadian diplomats and their families.
Canadian authorities have criticized this action, with Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mélanie Joly, asserting that “a unilateral revocation of diplomatic privilege and immunities is contrary to international law.” She emphasized that it violates the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations and represents an unreasonable and escalatory move. Canada refuses to reciprocate, as the breach of diplomatic immunity norms could endanger diplomats worldwide.
Canada’s Immigration Minister, Marc Miller, acknowledged that processing times would experience delays but highlighted IRCC’s efforts to minimize the impact on newcomers.
It’s worth noting that the Indian government could have alternatively declared individuals “persona non grata” and expelled them from the country, a measure employed in the past to express dissatisfaction during international disputes. However, India’s chosen course of action lacks a basis in international conventions governing diplomatic relations.
Tensions between the two countries initially arose on September 18 when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged the involvement of the Indian government in the fatal shooting of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
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