# Ahmed Hussen

> Ahmed Hussen (born 1976): Mogadishu-born refugee who became Canada's first Somali-Canadian MP and Cabinet minister.

Source page: https://calankii.com/en/people/ahmed-hussen/
Last checked: 2026-11-12
Publisher: Calankii (https://calankii.com)

## Who is he?

Ahmed Hussen is a Canadian lawyer and Liberal politician ([Wikipedia, Ahmed Hussen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahmed_Hussen)). He is the first Somali-Canadian elected to the House of Commons and the first to sit in the federal Cabinet (same source). This page covers his public role only.

## From Mogadishu to Canada

He was born and raised in Mogadishu, where his father was a long-distance trucker ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahmed_Hussen)). When fighting reached their neighbourhood, the family left for Kenya (same source). He arrived in Canada at 16 as a refugee ([Ahmed Hussen, official MP page](https://ahmedhussen.libparl.ca/about/)). He finished high school in Hamilton, Ontario, and later moved to Toronto (same source). See [Somalis in Toronto](/en/diaspora/toronto/) and [Somalis in Kenya](/en/diaspora/kenya/).

## Study and community work

He earned a BA at York University and a law degree at the University of [Ottawa](/en/diaspora/ottawa/) ([official MP page](https://ahmedhussen.libparl.ca/about/)). He co-founded the Regent Park Community Council in Toronto (same source). The council secured a $500 million rebuilding of Regent Park, and he received the Queen's Gold Medal for this work (same source). He was national president of the Canadian Somali Congress (same source). As a lawyer he worked in criminal, immigration and refugee law (same source).

## Into politics

He worked as an assistant to Ontario premier Dalton McGuinty in the early 2000s ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahmed_Hussen)). He was first elected MP for York South—Weston in 2015 ([official MP page](https://ahmedhussen.libparl.ca/about/)).

## In Cabinet

In January 2017 he became Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship ([official MP page](https://ahmedhussen.libparl.ca/about/)). From 2019 he was Minister of Families, Children and Social Development (same source). From 2021 to 2023 he was Minister of Housing, Diversity and Inclusion. From 2023 to 2025 he was Minister of International Development ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahmed_Hussen)). Since 2025 he has been MP for York South—Weston—Etobicoke (same source).

## In short

A former refugee from Mogadishu who became Canada's Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship.

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