Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Ahmed Hussen has been re-elected in his Ontario riding, after replacing Liberal MP John McCallum in 2017.
Hussen has often spoken for the Liberals’ immigration policy, notably calling Lisa McLeod “un-Canadian” when she referred to refugees crossing the U.S. border into Canada “illegal.” Ontario Primier Doug Ford and Trudeau Liberals came into conflict a great deal regarding housing, social services, and legal aid for refugees, the budget for the latter eventually bolstered by Ottawa when it was cut by Ford.
Critics of the Liberal government objected to immigration reforms being “hidden” in the large budget bill, notably amending eligibility rules so that asylum seekers coming from the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, or the U.K. couldn’t make a refugee claim in Canada. While some claimed the change was unconstitutional, Hussen said that no refugees would be deported if their home countries were unsafe. Hussen also made reforms to the Temporary Foreign Workers program, notably open work permits for migrant workers facing hostile working conditions.