NEW DELHI: After measures were taken by Canada to address its security concerns, India has decided to resume visa services for Canadians. This comes over a month after visa services were suspended by India on September 21 following concerns over the security of its diplomats.
"The High Commission of India in Ottawa, Canada, and its Consulates General in Toronto and Vancouver were constrained to suspend visa services temporarily because of safety and security concerns. After a considered review of the security situation that takes into account some recent Canadian measures in this regard, it has been decided to resume visa services from October 26th for entry visa, business visa, medical visa and conference visa," said the High Commission of India in Ottawa.
Meanwhile, emergency situations will continue to be addressed by the High Commission and the Consulate General as is being done currently.
"Further decisions, as appropriate, would be intimated based on continuing evaluation of the situation," the High Commission added.
It may be recalled that Indian diplomats were threatened by Khalistani supporters and their photos appeared on posters which even put a bounty on their heads. This was a major area of concern for India and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had pointed out that if the diplomats felt threatened to go to the missions, there was no way they could facilitate consular services as a result of which visa services for Canadians had to be temporarily suspended.
This was also an outcome of the diplomatic spat between India and Canada which was triggered by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s statement in Parliament accusing India of being instrumental in the killing of slain Khalistani extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Trudeau expelled an Indian diplomat after making the accusation.
India followed suit and not just expelled a Canadian diplomat but asked Canadian missions in India to downsize in order to bring parity in diplomatic strength between the two nations. As a result, 41 Canadian diplomats left India recently.