New Delhi: India temporarily suspended visa operations with Canada for an indefinite period due to alleged ‘security threats’ against diplomatic staff, amidst a diplomatic crisis that arose following the latter’s allegation that India is responsible for the killing of a Sikh activist.

Meanwhile, the High Commission of Canada said that its offices and those of all consulates in India are open – noting at once that social media threats have led it to “temporarily adjust staff presence in India.”

A notice on the Canada portal of the Indian visa outsourcing service provider, BLS International, notes that visa services are suspended from September 21, today.

The notice says:

“Important notice from Indian Mission: Due to operational reasons, with effect from 21 September 2023, Indian visa services have been suspended till further notice. Please keep checking BLS website for further updates.”

Effectively, this means that visas will no longer be given from the Indian mission in Canada, which mostly catered to Canadian nationals.

At the weekly briefing, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said that the normal functioning of the India high commission and consulates in Canada was affected by “security threats” faced by the staff. Therefore, the high commission is unable to temporarily process visa applications, he said. “We will be reviewing the situation on a regular basis,” Bagchi added.

The suspension includes e-visas, the spokesperson said.

Canadians in other countries will also not be able to apply for visas because the high commission in Canada will need to be involved in the process at some point.

In 2021, Canadian tourists were the fourth largest group visiting India – accounting for nearly 5.3% of all foreigners who arrived in the country. About 80,000 of them travelled to the country, according to India’s Bureau of Immigration. Conversely, about 2,60,000 Indians visited Canada during the same year.

Canada to reduce diplomatic staff

The Canadian high commission meanwhile has noted that it is continuously monitoring the safety and security of its missions and personnel “as we maintain a strict security protocol to respond to any events.”

It also noted that social media threats had compelled it to adjust its staff presence in India.

“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. As a result, and out of an abundance of caution, we have decided to temporarily adjust staff presence in India. All of our locations are staffed by diplomats and locally-engaged staff to ensure business and operational continuity.”

There is no clarity yet if this means that Canada was sending back some of its diplomatic staff.

In the statement, it also said that in the context of respect for obligations under the Vienna conventions, we expect India to provide for the security of our accredited diplomats and consular officers in India, just as we are for theirs here.

The Canadian high commission added that all its missions in India “are open and operational and continue to serve clients.”

Bagchi contended that Canada was reducing diplomatic staff in India not because of threats but because New Delhi had requested parity in numbers and strength of diplomatic representation. “Details are being worked out, but I assume there will be a reduction,” the MEA spokesperson said, indicating that Canada has been asked to send back some of its diplomatic staff.

“I presume that [this reduction in staff] is pursuant to our conversation,” he said.

‘Canada has not shared any evidence’

Bagchi also said that Canada has yet to share any of the “credible allegations” of India’s involvement in the killing of Nijjar, despite a request from New Delhi.

He said, “We are willing to look at any specific information that is provided to us. We have conveyed that to the Canadians. But so far, we have not received any such specific information.”

Referring to India’s concerns about fugitives who have sought refuge in Canada, Bagchi said, “From our side, very specific evidence about criminal activities of individuals based on Canadian soil has been shared with Canadian authorities on regular basis and not been acted upon.”

“The larger issue is of terrorism and not just terrorism but also the fact that it is being funded and supported by our western neighbour Pakistan. But, the issue of safe havens and place to operate is being provided abroad, including in Canada. And we would expect that to be the main focus. The question is whether we have the political will to address terrorism or we want to justify it and condone it,” the MEA spokesperson said.

When asked if Trudeau’s allegation had hurt India’s reputation, Bagchi said, “If you’re talking about reputational issues and reputational damage, if there’s any country that needs to look at this, I think it is Canada and its growing reputation as a place, as a safe haven for terrorists, for extremists, and for organised crime. And I think that’s a country that needs to worry about its international reputation.”

By describing Canada as a ‘safe haven’ for terrorists who want to harm India, the MEA used a term that has previously largely been used only for Pakistan.

India and Canada’s diplomatic ties have nose-dived since Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau claimed in parliament that “Indian agents” were behind the killing of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

On Wednesday, Bagchi described the allegations as “primarily political”.

“Yes I do think that there is a degree of prejudice… to us, it seems that the allegations are primarily political,” he said.

Canada had expelled a senior Indian diplomat, following which India also asked a Canadian high commission official to leave the country.

A day ago, India issued an advisory to Indians to “exercise utmost caution” while considering travel to Canada due to the “growing anti-India activities and politically-condoned hate crimes and criminal violence”.

The US and Australia have called on India to join Canada’s probe. Bagchi said that New Delhi too has reached out to friends and partners. “We have been of course engaged with partners on this. We have been discussing this. We have conveyed our position on how we see this,” he said.

Note: This article was updated with details from the MEA’s weekly briefing on September 21, 2023.