Canada’s efforts to reduce government spending are triggering growing concern among former diplomats and policy experts after new figures revealed that staffing cuts at Global Affairs Canada are falling far more heavily on employees serving overseas than on those based in Ottawa.
New data obtained by The Canadian Press shows that rotational positions — including many diplomats and foreign service officers posted abroad — are being eliminated at nearly three times the rate of domestic positions. Critics warn the reductions could weaken Canada’s diplomatic reach at a time when the federal government is seeking stronger global trade and international partnerships.
According to the figures, Global Affairs Canada is expected to reduce rotational overseas positions from 3,221 to 2,878 within a year, representing a decline of 10.6 per cent. In comparison, non-rotational positions based in Canada will decrease from 6,868 to 6,624, a reduction of only 3.5 per cent.
The cuts are also extending to locally engaged staff hired abroad. Over the next three years, the department plans to eliminate 754 overseas local positions, including hundreds of currently vacant roles. This represents a 13.8 per cent decline from the 5,450 foreign workers employed at Canadian missions abroad as of January 2026.
Former Canadian ambassador Jeremy Kinsman sharply criticized the approach, arguing that Ottawa is weakening its frontline diplomatic presence while expanding bureaucracy at headquarters.
Kinsman, who previously served as ambassador to Russia, the United Kingdom and the European Union, said diplomacy cannot be managed through “spreadsheets” and administrative reporting alone. He argued that Canada risks losing valuable on-the-ground intelligence, local relationships and strategic influence by reducing both Canadian diplomats and locally hired employees abroad.
He noted that locally engaged staff often provide critical cultural understanding, political insight and direct community connections that Canadian missions rely on for effective diplomacy and trade relations. Since these employees are hired locally, they also cost significantly less than relocating Canadian diplomats and their families overseas.
Global Affairs Canada defended the staffing decisions, stating the reductions are part of a broader government-wide effort to find efficiencies while supporting increased defence spending and maintaining Canada’s international priorities. The department said it is restructuring operations, relying more on technology and reviewing how services are delivered across missions.
In a statement, department spokesperson John Babcock said workforce adjustments were based on operational requirements and applied fairly across the organization rather than targeting any single group.
Despite the reductions, Global Affairs Canada said roughly half of its workforce will still remain stationed abroad once the planned restructuring is complete.
Internal briefing documents prepared for Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand last year showed that nearly half of the department’s workforce was located outside Canada, although the majority of those employees were locally hired foreign workers rather than Canadian citizens.
Only about 20 per cent of Global Affairs staff serving abroad are Canadian citizens, representing roughly 1,420 employees. Critics argue this number is already too low compared to other major diplomatic nations.
International comparisons appear to support those concerns. A 2025 audit found that 27 per cent of British foreign service personnel were posted abroad, compared with only 16 per cent of Canadian Global Affairs employees. France reported that nearly three-quarters of its foreign ministry workforce serves internationally.
Kinsman warned that Canada risks becoming overly centralized in Ottawa, with too many layers of administration and not enough direct international representation.
He argued that successful diplomacy depends on people working in foreign capitals, building relationships, gathering local insight and advancing Canada’s interests face-to-face rather than primarily through internal meetings and paperwork in headquarters.
The debate comes at a significant moment for Canada’s international strategy, as the federal government seeks to expand trade partnerships, strengthen alliances and increase Canada’s role on major global issues amid rising geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainty.