New Delhi: In a candid interview, Indian High Commissioner to Canada Dinesh K. Patnaik, whose roots trace back to Odisha, raised alarm over the safety of Indian nationals living in Canada and questioned why even a diplomatic envoy like himself must be under security protection.
In his comments to Canadian national broadcaster CTV, Patnaik stated, “Is Canada safe for Indians here? Is Canada safe for itself? Because Canada cannot look at this situation as an Indian problem. It’s a Canadian problem.” He added: “The High Commissioner of Canada in India does not need protection. The High Commissioner of India in Canada needs protection. Do we need to look into why the situation is like that?”
Indian envoy to Canada @DineshKPatnaik to CTV News, says, ‘Is Canada safe for Indians here, is Canada safe from itself. Can’t say it is an Indian problem, it’s a Canadian problem’ pic.twitter.com/LultYyOywX
— Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) October 20, 2025
Rising deportations, safety fears
Patnaik’s remarks come amid troubling data concerning Indian nationals in Canada. In 2024, 1,997 Indians were subject to forced removal from Canada — a sharp rise from 625 in 2019. Further, by July 2025, 1,891 Indians had already been asked to leave the country, suggesting this year’s total may exceed last year’s.
On the safety front, Patnaik referenced an incident where “one of the restaurants, owned by an Indian, was attacked for the third time. Shots were fired at the restaurant”. He raised broader concerns about groups operating in Canada that “are actually terrorising, keeping the relationship under hostage… how do we deal with them? How do we deal with the law-and-order situation?”
Diplomatic backdrop and Odia connection
Patnaik, an experienced Indian Foreign Service officer of the 1990 batch, was appointed as India’s High Commissioner to Canada on August 28, 2025. It is also noted that he hails from Odisha.
His appointment came at a time when bilateral relations between India and Canada were under strain. Ottawa has accused New Delhi of involvement in the June 2023 killing of Sikh-separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar—a claim India strongly denies. In the interview, Patnaik dismissed former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegations, calling them “absurd and without any substantial evidence.”
He also credited new Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney with playing a “very big role” in restoring normalcy between the two nations. “We might have been here a little earlier or later. You can’t keep two large countries apart for long,” he said.
What this means for Indians in Canada
Patnaik’s remarks suggest India will keep a close eye on the welfare of its citizens abroad—especially in Canada. His pointed remarks that the situation “is a Canadian problem” may signal that New Delhi expects Ottawa to take more responsibility for security and law-and-order issues affecting its diaspora.
For Indian nationals in Canada, the message is clear: their apprehensions are being heard and raised at the diplomatic level. It may spur both governments to accelerate talks on community safety, deportation protocols and visa/immigration processes.
As Patnaik highlighted: “South Asians and Indians are feeling unsafe here… We need to make sure that they feel safe.”
