'Difficult Phase': EAM Jaishankar On Why India Stopped Visa Services For Canadians

India's External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar, has acknowledged that the relationship between India and Canada is currently undergoing a challenging phase. On Sunday, 22nd October, he cited concerns about the safety of Indian diplomats working in Canada as the primary reason for India's decision to temporarily suspend visa services for Canadian nationals.

ANI quoted the minister explaining, "The relationship right now is going through a difficult phase. But I do want to say the problems we have are with a certain segment of Canadian politics and the policies which flow from that. Right now the big concern which people have is on visas. Some weeks ago, we stopped issuing visas in Canada because it was no longer safe for our diplomats to go to work to issue visas. So their safety and security was the primary reason we had to temporarily stop the issue of visas."

He stressed the importance of ensuring the safety and security of diplomats, a fundamental aspect of the Vienna Convention. Jaishankar expressed his hope that the situation would improve, allowing Indian diplomats to resume their duties with greater confidence.

"We're tracking it very closely. My hope, my expectation is that situation would improve in the sense that our people would have greater confidence in being able to do their basic duty as diplomats. Because ensuring safety and security of diplomats is the most fundamental aspect of the Vienna Convention", he said.

India suspended visa services for Canadian nationals in September amid heightened tensions between the two countries.

The foreign minister went on further to add, "And right now that is what has in many ways been challenged in Canada that our people are not safe, our diplomats are not safe. So if we see progress there, I would like very much to resume the issue of visas. My hope would be that it would be something which should happen very soon"

Jaishankar had earlier also explained that the decision to invoke diplomatic parity with Canada, which led to the withdrawal of 41 Canadian diplomats, was prompted by "continuous interference" in India's affairs by Canadian personnel. Canada's Prime Minister had criticized India's actions, labeling them a violation of the Geneva Convention.

Diplomatic relations between India and Canada became strained after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made a statement suggesting a "potential link" between the murder of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar and the Indian government. Nijjar was killed in June outside a gurdwara in Canada by two unidentified assailants, leading to a deterioration in the relationship between the two nations.

The Indian government is closely monitoring the situation and, once they are satisfied with the safety of their diplomats, hopes to resume visa issuance for Canadian nationals, which could happen in the near future.