Canada has said that the processing of Indian visa applications will slow down after the country repatriated 41 of its diplomats posted in India amid the ongoing standoff between New Delhi and Ottawa over the killing of a Khalistani terrorist.

The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) said that the decision to remove all but 21 diplomats was taken after India threatened to revoke their diplomatic immunity if they didn’t leave before October 20.

“Following India’s intent to unilaterally remove immunities for all but 21 Canadian diplomats and dependents in Delhi by October 20, 2023, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is reducing its number of employees in India from 27 to 5. IRCC will continue to accept and process applications from India, but reduced staffing levels are expected to impact processing times,” the IRCC said in a statement.

The IRCC also said that the decrease in the diplomatic staff will further delay in overall processing times and responses to enquiries of Indians. Due to the decision, the Canadian immigration office said, Indians will also face delay in getting their visas or passports back.

Earlier on Thursday, Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly announced that Canada has removed 41 diplomats and their 42 family members, from India over the ongoing row between the two countries.

“As of now, I can confirm that India has formally conveyed its plan to unethically remove diplomatic immunities for all but 21 Canadian diplomats and dependents in Delhi by tomorrow, October 20. This means 41 Canadian diplomats and their 42 dependents were in danger of having immunity stripped on an arbitrary date. And this would put their personal safety at risk,” Joly said, confirming the departure of Canadian diplomats.

This comes after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegations of India’s involvement in the extra judicial killing of a Canadian citizen, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a New Delhi designated terrorist, trigged a massive diplomatic row between New Delhi and Ottawa.

India rejected Trudeau’s “absurd and politically driven” allegations and accused Canadian diplomats of interference in India’s internal matters. The Indian government also sought parity in Canada’s diplomatic strength in India.

On being asked if the reduction in the number of Canadian diplomats could see a decrease in the number of visas issued by the Canadian High Commission in India, MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi Thursday said, “It’s up to the Canadian side, who they choose to staff the High Commission with…our concerns are related to ensuring parity in diplomatic presence”.

He further added that India’s primary focus is on two things; having an atmosphere in Canada, where Indian diplomats can work properly and in achieving parity in terms of diplomatic strength.