Lena Metlege Diab named Canada’s new Immigration Minister

Mark Carney, Canada’s new Prime Minister, has ushered in a new immigration minister following the recent liberal party victory in Canada’s federal election.

Canada’s new Minister of Immigration is Lena Metlege Diab, the Member of Parliament for Halifax West. She will now lead Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), succeeding former Immigration Minister Rachel Bendayan.

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Cabinet shuffles like today's are a routine feature of Canadian politics following elections, offering prime ministers the chance to realign their ministerial teams based on performance, political priorities, or evolving policy goals.

The last major cabinet shuffle occurred in March of 2025, when Rachel Bendayan was appointed as Immigration Minister, following Marc Miller’s term in the role.

Who is Canada's new immigration minister?

Lena Metlege Diab brings a wealth of political and legal experience to the immigration file.

She previously served as Nova Scotia’s Minister of Immigration from 2013 to 2021, becoming the first woman of Lebanese descent elected to a legislature in Canada and the first woman to serve as Attorney General and Minister of Justice in Nova Scotia’s history.

As provincial Minister of Immigration, Diab made significant strides in developing Nova Scotia's immigration program, including nominating record numbers of new permanent residents, introducing new immigrant entrepreneur streams, and pioneering the use of Express Entry-aligned pilots for provincial immigration.

In addition to serving as Immigration Minister for her province, Diab also served (often concurrently) as Nova Scotia’s Minister of

• Acadian Affairs and Fracophonie; and
• Labour and Advanced Education.

Born and raised in Halifax to Lebanese immigrant parents, Diab is trilingual (in English, French, and Arabic) and holds degrees in commerce and law from Saint Mary’s University and Dalhousie University, respectively.

Prior to entering politics, she practiced law and was a small business owner in Halifax. Diab has remained deeply involved in the Lebanese Canadian community, having served for seven terms as president of the Canadian-Lebanon Society of Halifax. She was the Society's first female president.

According to the biographical section on the webpage for her candidacy for Halfiax West's MP seat, Minister Diab’s values are rooted in “diversity, inclusion, collaboration, and fairness.”

Immigration policy under Prime Minister Mark Carney

With Mark Carney now leading the Canadian government, the direction of Canada’s immigration policy may shift yet again. While specific mandate letters have yet to be made public, Carney has previously expressed support for:

• Scaling permanent immigration back to a “sustainable” level;
• Supporting further economic immigration to Canada;
• Increasing francophone immigration levels; and
• Reducing temporary resident levels.

The importance of the immigration portfolio in Canadian politics

Immigration continues to play a central role in Canada’s economic, demographic, and political landscape, serving as a crucial tool to address labour market gaps and a key driver of population growth.

Today, immigration accounts for close to 100% of Canada’s labour force and population growth.

Due to the crucial role that immigration plays in Canadian society, immigration is often the focal point of both policy changes and media scrutiny.

Canada’s immigration department enjoys significant discretionary powers, allowing it to enact public policies that can have far-reaching effects on workers, students, families, and employers.

One example is the authority to introduce or suspend public policies, such as changes to work permit eligibility or international student work hour caps.

The minister can invoke such temporary public policies without need for parliamentary approval.

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