'Indians feeling unsafe in Canada', new envoy flags concerns

India's new High Commissioner to Canada, Dinesh K Patnaik, has raised concerns over the safety of Indian nationals there. Patnaik said Indian nationals in Canada do not feel safe and added that he finds it unusual for a high commissioner like himself to require security in the country. “Canada cannot look at this situation as an Indian problem. It’s a Canadian problem. There are Canadians who are creating this problem,” Patnaik told CTV News in the interview.Patnaik also said: “Security scenarios where there is a group of people who are actually terrorizing, keeping the relationship under hostage...how do we deal with them? How do we deal with the law-and-order situation?”.

"Indians are not feeling safe in Canada. The High Commissioner of Canada in India doesn't need protection. But the Indian envoy in Canada needs protection!" says Ambassador Dinesh Patnaik pic.twitter.com/GNc8X2Qr4J

— Shashank Mattoo (@MattooShashank) October 20, 2025

Patnaik's remarks come amid reports of an uptick in Indian nationals being removed from Canada. In 2024, 1,997 Indians were subject for forced removals in the country, an exponential hike from the 625 figure of 2019. Data from the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) showed that 1,891 Indians were asked to leave the country up until July 2025, which suggests that the total number for this year could well surpass last year's figure. Indians top the country-wise list for “removals in progress,” with 6,837 cases, followed by 5,170 Mexicans and 1,734 US citizens. Indians also make up the largest group among asylum seekers.

The envoy, however, credited the new leadership in Ottawa for resetting the tone of the bilateral relationship. According to Patnaik, the two nations are now in a phase of rebuilding trust. “Security agencies are talking to each other, there’s dialogue between the RCMP and the NIA, and both our NSAs have met. The process of rebuilding the relationship is underway,” he said.India and Canada have resumed ministerial-level talks. Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand visited India recently, with both sides issuing a joint statement affirming their intent to expand cooperation in trade and security.