Lena Metlege Diab - New Canada Minister of Immigration: What to expect?

General

May 13

Canada has just announced its new Cabinet and reshuffled the Ministers who will shape the path where the country is headed. Under new Prime Minister Mark Carney, Lena Metlege Diab has been appointed as Canada’s new Minister of Immigration, Citizenship, and Refugees. She replaces Rachel Bendayan, at a time when the country navigates the complex balancing act of immigration growth, demographic needs, and national capacity constraints.

Minister Diab’s appointment is not just a change of face, it symbolizes the reintroduction of a pragmatic, labor market-informed, and employer-driven approach to immigration policy, informed by Minister Diab’s years of experience steering Nova Scotia’s immigration strategy through one of its most transformative periods.

We now have a new Minister of Immigration who has a background in law and significant experience as a provincial Minister of Immigration in Nova Scotia. This is very exciting to say the least…

A Lawyer’s Path to Politics and Immigration Leadership

Lena Metlege Diab’s career has been steeped in law, community leadership, and public service. Born in Halifax to Lebanese immigrant parents, Minister Diab experienced firsthand the realities of global migration when her family moved to Lebanon during her early childhood, only to return to Halifax at the age of 11 amidst the Lebanese Civil War.

She pursued higher education at Saint Mary’s University and later completed a law degree at Dalhousie University while raising a young family. Called to the Nova Scotia Bar in 1991 at just 25 years old, Minister Diab practiced law for over two decades in Halifax, focusing on real estate, personal injury, and foreclosures. In 2018, her contribution to the legal profession was formally recognized when she was appointed Queen’s Counsel.

Yet her influence extended beyond the courtroom. Minister Diab became an active leader in the Lebanese-Canadian community, serving seven terms as the first female president of the Canadian Lebanon Society of Halifax. Her deep roots in both legal practice and community service laid the foundation for her entry into politics, culminating in her election as a Nova Scotia MLA in 2013, and soon after, her appointment as the province’s first female Attorney General and Minister of Justice.

But it was as Nova Scotia’s Minister of Immigration that she left her most indelible mark - a legacy that now foreshadows her potential approach at the federal level.

Nova Scotia’s Immigration Transformation Under Minister Diab: A Model of Employer-Driven Pragmatism

Lena Metlege Diab’s tenure as Nova Scotia’s Minister of Immigration from 2013 to 2021 was characterized by strategic policy innovation, data-informed planning, and an unwavering focus on aligning immigration with labor market needs.

Perhaps most emblematic of her philosophy was the 2014 creation of a dedicated pathway for international graduates, an initiative that made national headlines. Speaking at the time, Minister Diab articulated a view that underscored her practical, employer-centered approach to immigration:

“International graduates are educated, they’ve made friends, they know the language, and they’re already familiar with all the great things Nova Scotia has to offer,” she stated in 2014 when launching the new stream. “Over the past year, there hasn’t been a provincial door open to help them stay. Today, that changes.”

Minister Diab’s framing was clear: international graduates represented not just potential newcomers, but ideal candidates for permanent settlement, already embedded in the community, culturally acclimatized, and economically prepared to contribute. She continued:

“Government cannot boost immigration alone. We are grateful for the support of the many employers, business organizations, connector programs, communities and people across Nova Scotia who work to recruit and retain international graduates who will help enhance our economy and our culture.”

This emphasis on collaborative, whole-of-community immigration strategies, where government played a facilitative rather than solitary role, became a hallmark of her approach.

Her 2019 introduction of the Occupations in Demand Pilot, initially targeting continuing care assistants and truck drivers, further illustrated her commitment to responsive, needs-based immigration programming:

“We are constantly evaluating our programs to see how we can better respond to what the province needs,” Minister Diab declared. “We recognize the significant economic contributions immigrants make to our province and expect the changes and new Occupations in Demand pilot to help more businesses prosper.”

Throughout her leadership, Minister Diab leaned heavily on partnerships with employers, post-secondary institutions, and settlement agencies, promoting a decentralized, employer-driven model that sought to address local labor shortages and demographic decline pragmatically.

In her 2018-2019 Annual Accountability Report, she celebrated a record-breaking year for immigration in Nova Scotia, with 5,968 newcomers landing in the province, including 3,471 through the Nova Scotia Nominee Program (NSNP) and 376 via the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program (AIPP). The report underscored her belief in immigration as both an economic tool and a means to community revitalization, noting:

“Immigrants bring new ideas, perspectives, and businesses to Nova Scotia which can help create more opportunities and a better economy for our province.”

Minister Diab also recognized the imperative of retention, not just attraction. Her government invested $6.4 million in settlement services, introduced multi-year funding models, and Innovation Grants to support new models in service provision, ensuring that newcomers integrated successfully and remained in Nova Scotia long term.

Further illustrating her inclusive approach, Minister Diab launched the Francophone Immigration Action Plan in 2018, using the province’s new “Room” branding to position Nova Scotia as a destination of choice at international recruitment events across Europe and Africa, including the UK, Ireland, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, and Morocco.

Her work in Nova Scotia painted a clear picture: Minister Diab believed that immigration policy must be data-driven, and deeply connected to local economic needs, balancing growth with integration and retention.

Minister Diab’s Immigration Outlook: Pragmatic Expansion, Not Open-Ended Growth

Her public statements throughout her tenure reveal a balanced, pragmatic view of immigration - pro-immigration, but not at the expense of ignoring the absorptive capacity of local communities, labor market demands, or infrastructure needs.

Her repeated focus on removing red tape, facilitating employer access, and promoting local retention programs suggests that as federal Minister of Immigration, Minister Diab is likely to approach immigration through the same needs-based, sector-targeted, and employer-informed lens.

This aligns closely with the broader direction set by Mark Carney’s government, which has already outlined a more tempered, sustainability-focused immigration strategy, including:

A temporary cap on both permanent and temporary immigration to stabilize the system.
A reduction in temporary residents to 5% of the population.
Permanent resident admissions capped at less than 1% of Canada’s population annually beyond 2027.

Given this context, Minister Diab’s experience offers the perfect complement to Mark Carney’s cautious stance. She has already navigated the balancing act of leveraging immigration for economic growth while ensuring programs are responsive to local needs and realities.

As she herself noted in 2021, while introducing a new stream for health and child care sectors:

“We are listening to employers and Nova Scotians to create new immigration pathways which will respond to the province’s needs. By working together, we are removing red tape and barriers to immigration. Providing employers the opportunity to expand their options to hire international graduates will not only allow us to address the employment needs in the continuing care and early childhood education sectors but will also allow us to continue to grow the population of Nova Scotia.”

This philosophy, listening first, acting second, and always with an eye on practical outcomes for employers, communities, and newcomers alike, will likely define her tenure at the federal level.

So what are our expectations?

Lena Metlege Diab’s appointment comes at a time of recalibration for Canada’s immigration system. Prime Minister Mark Carney has already signaled a shift toward more sustainable, capacity-aligned immigration levels, introducing caps on both permanent and temporary residents and aiming to stabilize immigration below 1% of Canada’s population annually post-2027.

Yet within these national-level caps, Minister Diab’s record suggests that she will pursue a more granular, responsive, and needs-based execution of immigration programs, drawing heavily from her experience in Nova Scotia.

Expectation 1: A “PNP Spring” – Empowering Provinces to Drive Tailored Immigration

Minister Diab’s leadership is likely to herald a renaissance of Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs).

Having championed the Nova Scotia Nominee Program (NSNP) as the primary vehicle for immigration-led population and economic growth, Diab consistently advocated for giving provinces more tools and flexibility to respond to their unique labor market needs.

With the federal cap in place, provinces will need to become more strategic and focused, and Diab is well-positioned to enhance the prominence and autonomy of PNPs within Canada’s overall immigration system.

We can anticipate:

Streamlined and perhaps expedited PNP pathways for in-demand sectors.
Greater alignment of PNP streams with sector-specific and regional priorities.
Possible federal-provincial agreements that allow provinces to adjust selection criteria swiftly in response to market shifts.

In effect, PNPs may become the centerpiece of Canada’s regional immigration strategy under Minister Diab, providing a necessary lever for provinces to drive immigration within the federal framework.

Expectation 2: Intensified Focus on Francophone Immigration

Minister Diab’s strong track record in promoting Francophone immigration through Nova Scotia’s Francophone Immigration Action Plan, coupled with Carney’s need to address Francophone community growth across Canada, suggests that Francophone immigration will remain a high-profile focus.

While not necessarily becoming the dominant stream, she will likely prioritize:

Expanding Francophone immigration targets within both Express Entry and PNPs.
Enhancing outreach and recruitment efforts in Francophone countries in Africa, Europe, and the Middle East.
Strengthening support for Francophone minority communities outside Quebec through dedicated settlement and retention programs.

Given the federal government’s need to balance linguistic diversity with economic imperatives, Minister Diab’s approach will likely emphasize Francophone immigration as a tool to fill labor market gaps while supporting cultural sustainability, especially in rural and underpopulated regions.

Expectation 3: Expansion of Occupation-Specific Draws and Sector-Specific Pathways

Perhaps the most certain trend under Minister Diab’s leadership will be the expansion of occupation-specific immigration pathways, reflecting her Nova Scotia precedent of launching the Occupations in Demand Pilot and streamlining pathways for health care and child care workers.

Under Carney’s government, which has already shown a preference for category-based draws in Express Entry, Minister Diab is expected to:

Broaden and refine the existing occupation-specific draws under Express Entry, with an intensified focus on priority sectors such as health care, child care, skilled trades, transport, agriculture, and tech.
Integrate occupation-focused pathways more seamlessly with provincial PNP streams.
Introduce new pilot programs (or expand existing ones) that target emerging sectoral needs, particularly in response to workforce shortages and demographic declines in rural areas.

Minister Diab’s belief, as expressed in her 2021 announcement of the health and child care stream, that “We are listening to employers and Nova Scotians to create new immigration pathways which will respond to the province’s needs”, will now find resonance at the national level.

This approach aligns perfectly with Carney’s emphasis on transitioning temporary residents already in Canada to permanent residency, using occupation-focused draws as a tool to convert work permit holders, international graduates, and essential workers into permanent residents.

Prognosis for Canada’s Immigration Future Under Minister Diab and Prime Minister Mark Carney

Lena Metlege Diab’s return to the immigration portfolio, now on the federal stage, signals a return to disciplined, labor-market informed immigration policymaking, grounded in collaboration, employer needs, and community integration.

While the caps introduced by Mark Carney’s government are expected to remain in place, Minister Diab’s appointment may shape the design and execution of federal programs to ensure they are more regionally responsive, sectorally targeted, and focused on transitioning temporary residents to permanent status efficiently and sustainably.

In Minister Diab, Canada gains a minister who understands immigration not as a monolithic target number, but as a complex, dynamic process that must be carefully calibrated to Canada’s labor market, demographic trends, and absorptive capacity. Her history suggests that while overall immigration volumes may stabilize, the pathways, support systems, and integration models will be refined, strengthened, and aligned more closely with local realities and employer demand - hallmarks of Minister Diab’s proven, pragmatic immigration philosophy.

We can only wish the best of luck to the Minister in her new (or not so new after all) role. This is a very exciting time we are witnessing.

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