India&rsquo;s High Commissioner to Canada, Dinesh K Patnaik, has expressed serious concern over the safety of Indian nationals in the country, noting that many no longer feel secure. 
He also described it as unusual for a high commissioner to require security in Canada.
In an interview with CTV News, Patnaik remarked, &ldquo;Canada cannot look at this situation as an Indian problem. It&rsquo;s a Canadian problem. There are Canadians who are creating this problem.&rdquo;
Without directly mentioning pro-Khalistan groups, the envoy spoke about how &ldquo;certain groups are terrorizing and holding the relationship hostage,&rdquo; calling for stronger law-and-order measures to address the situation.
Patnaik&rsquo;s comments come amid reports showing a sharp rise in forced removals of Indian nationals from Canada.&nbsp;
In 2024, 1,997 Indians were deported, compared to 625 in 2019.&nbsp;
Data from the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) shows that up to July 2025, 1,891 Indians had already been ordered to leave the country &mdash; suggesting an even higher total by year&rsquo;s end.
Indians currently top the list of &ldquo;removals in progress&rdquo; with 6,837 cases, followed by 5,170 Mexicans and 1,734 U.S. citizens.&nbsp;
They also form the largest group among asylum seekers.
Meanwhile, Canada has toughened its stance on immigration. 
Prime Minister Mark Carney recently confirmed plans to speed up deportations of foreign criminals, adding that reforms were being made to improve tracking and resources within the system.
Patnaik, however, acknowledged that Carney was playing a &ldquo;very big role&rdquo; in improving India-Canada ties. 
&ldquo;You can&rsquo;t keep two large countries apart for long,&rdquo; he said, expressing optimism for a return to normalcy.
Relations between New Delhi and Ottawa hit a low in 2023 after then Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused India of involvement in the killing of Hardeep Nijjar, a claim India strongly denied. 
When asked about Trudeau&rsquo;s role in damaging ties, Patnaik said, &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think any relationship can be destroyed by a single man. It takes a whole ecosystem to do that.&rdquo;
In August, both countries signaled a thaw by appointing new high commissioners &mdash; Dinesh Patnaik for India and Christopher Cooter for Canada &mdash; marking a step toward rebuilding strained diplomatic relations.

Indian envoy discusses safety concerns in Canada

Indian envoy Dinesh Patnaik says nationals in Canada feel unsafe amid rising deportations

Indians Feel Unsafe In Canada: Envoy

Indian envoy Dinesh Patnaik says nationals in Canada feel unsafe amid rising deportations

October 20, 2025 | 15:04 IST