New IRCC Minister Lena Metlege Diab

Everyone at CIL would like to congratulate MP Lena Metlege Diab with her appointment as Minister of IRCC. We have worked with many ministers over the years and each one brings their own unique perspective. Based on my recollection, Minister Diab may be the first Minister of IRCC who is fluent in Arabic. Very cool. Here are a few points from her bio:

• Law degree from Dalhousie in 1990;
• Practised law in Halifax;
• Leader and volunteer within the Canadian Lebanese community;
• Elected in 2013 (provincial);
• Appointed Minister of Immigration (Nova Scotia) in 2013;
• Elected in 2021 and then reelected in 2025 (federal)

MP Diab will take over IRCC during difficult times. We will have to see how she is able to balance the Liberals goal to reduce the population of people with temporary status (eg. int’l students and TFWs) while, at the same time, supporting skilled workers and Canadian businesses.

In my view, IRCC needs to give more control to provinces and Ottawa needs to recognize that a one-size-fits-all approach fails to address the distinct needs of different communities. Winnipeg, for example, has very different needs than Toronto.

I am hopeful that a minister who was active in provincial politics for many years in Nova Scotia may recognize the different needs between provinces.