Persona Non Grata

May 12, 2023

Context:

A day after Canada announced it would expel a Chinese diplomat over allegations of involvement in a campaign to intimidate a Canadian politician, China declared a Canadian diplomat in Shanghai as persona non grata.

What is persona non grata?

Persona non grata is a Latin phrase which means “unwelcome person.”
In diplomacy, it refers to a diplomat or foreign person whose entering or remaining in a certain country has been prohibited by that country.
The designation received diplomatic meaning at the 1961 Vienna Convention for Diplomatic Relations.
- Article 9 of the treaty mentions that a country can declare any member of a diplomatic staff persona non grata at any time and without having to explain its decision.
Soon after the declaration, the person concerned usually returns to their home nation.
In case they fail to do so within a reasonable period, the country “may refuse to recognise the person concerned as a member of the mission.”
A person can be declared persona non grata even before arriving in a country.

When is it used?

There aren’t any fixed rules regarding when a country can declare a foreign person persona non grata as it doesn’t need to give an explanation according to Article 9 of the Vienna Convention.
Historically, countries have used it to express their discontent with the actions of other nations.
During the Cold War, it became a “tit-for-tat” sanction as both the US and the Soviet Union liberally declared each other’s diplomats persona non grata.
The imposition of persona non grata designation isn’t just limited to diplomats.

News Source: Indian Express