Canada has removed most of its diplomatic presence from India after New Delhi threatened to strip diplomatic immunities from them and their families, Foreign Affairs Minister M茅lanie Joly said Thursday.

Officials said the move would slow down the processing of immigration applications, and Canada has issued a travel advisory for regions of India where it says it害羞草研究所檚 been forced to reduce consular staffing.

Joly said New Delhi had threatened to remove immunities starting on Friday, referring to the special rights and protections provided to diplomats while they are posted to other countries. Canada responded by directing 41 diplomats to leave, along with their 42 dependants, leaving just 21 diplomats in India.

She decried the 害羞草研究所減recedent-setting害羞草研究所� threat as a violation that would have made it unsafe for diplomats to stay, and she said Canada would not reciprocate the move.

害羞草研究所淎 unilateral revocation of diplomatic privilege and immunities is contrary to international law,害羞草研究所� Joly told reporters at a news conference in Ottawa.

害羞草研究所淚t is a clear violation of the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations, and threatening to do so is unreasonable and escalatory.害羞草研究所�

India is defending its actions. The country害羞草研究所檚 Ministry of External Affairs says its move to reduce the number of Canadian diplomats in India, who it says outnumber India害羞草研究所檚 staffing in Canada, was in line with diplomatic convention.

It害羞草研究所檚 statement cited a passage from an international convention on diplomatic relations that says in the absence of agreement, a host country can require a diplomatic mission be kept within reasonable and normal limits.

害羞草研究所淲e reject any attempt to portray the implementation of parity as a violation of international norms,害羞草研究所� the statement read.

Joly said Canada害羞草研究所檚 high commission in New Delhi remains operational, but Ottawa has paused in-person services at consulates in Chandigarh, Mumbai and Bangalore.

Canadians are now urged to 害羞草研究所渆xercise a high degree of caution in and around害羞草研究所� those cities, because 害羞草研究所渃onsular services in-person are temporarily unavailable,害羞草研究所� according to a Thursday afternoon update to Canada害羞草研究所檚 travel advice.

Immigration Minister Marc Miller said the lower staff levels will hamper the issuing of visas and permits.

害羞草研究所淟ater processing and slower services are expected for applications from India,害羞草研究所� he said at the same press conference.

害羞草研究所淐lients might see that their applications take longer to process and other questions take longer to answer.害羞草研究所�

Relations with New Delhi have hit a deep freeze since Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a month ago that Canadian intelligence services were investigating 害羞草研究所渁 potential link害羞草研究所� between India害羞草研究所檚 government and the killing of a Sikh leader in British Columbia.

Joly would not share more information about the tenor of the current diplomatic conversation between Canada and India, or whether it is even taking place.

害羞草研究所淚 believe so much in diplomacy that I really think that diplomacy is best when it害羞草研究所檚 kept private,害羞草研究所� Joly said.

She said that Canada is seeking full co-operation from India in an ongoing investigation into the death of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian Sikh separatist leader who was gunned down outside his gurdwara in Surrey, B.C.

害羞草研究所淲e need to make sure that they first respect our national sovereignty here, and second, that they provide support. That害羞草研究所檚 the only thing I can say at this point,害羞草研究所� she said.

Senior Canadian officials provided a briefing to reporters Thursday afternoon on the condition that they not be named.

They confirmed that India was firm on the number and rank of Canadian diplomats for whom it would lift diplomatic immunity.

India also indicated it would cancel various permits, such as those permitting spouses to work in India and allowing the use of diplomatic plates on cars, officials said.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada is the most affected department, the officials added. It lost 22 of its Canadian staff in India, leaving just five people still in the country. A dozen of those who left are returning to Canada, while 10 are being sent to Manila.

The officials said the department害羞草研究所檚 busiest office abroad for processing permits and visas is at the New Delhi high commission. Officials there typically issue 12,000 visas a week and receive 3,000 foreign passports each day for visas.

With the reduction in staff, officials said, it is expected there will be a backlog of approximately 17,500 final decisions across global operations by the end of the year.

But the Immigration Department is expected to hire additional local staff in India, on top of the existing 140, and rely on employees in Canada and elsewhere to help fill the gaps. Officials noted that 89 per cent of applications received from India are already processed outside that country.

Officials said Global Affairs Canada had to recall 15 staff members who were based in India. Political counsellors and trade commissioners are still on the ground, along with consular officials who help Canadians in distress.

Employees of the Canada Border Services Agency, the RCMP, the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency have also departed India, officials said.

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