Canada evacuates 41 diplomats and their families from India: Joly
CTV
Canada has evacuated 41 diplomats and their family members from India, after New Delhi threatened to strip them of their diplomatic immunity, Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly said Thursday. This move will impact the level of service delivery Canada will be able to provide in that country.
"I can confirm that India has formally conveyed its plan to unilaterally remove diplomatic immunities for all but 21 Canadian diplomats and dependents in Delhi by tomorrow, Oct. 20," Joly said.
Joly said that in their efforts for diplomatic parity, India would only allow 21 diplomats and their families to maintain their diplomatic status, putting the others at risk for having their protections stripped arbitrarily, leaving them vulnerable to reprisal or arrest.
"The safety of Canadians and of our diplomats is always my top concern. Given the implications of India's actions on the safety of our diplomats, we have facilitated their safe departure from India," Joly said. "This means that our diplomats and their families have now left."
Chiding India for acting "contrary to international law," and in violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, Joly accused India of escalating the bilateral tensions.
