Ahmed Hussen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ahmed Hussen
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Hussen in 2017
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| Minister of International Development | |
| Assumed office July 26, 2023 |
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| Prime Minister | Justin Trudeau |
| Preceded by | Harjit Sajjan |
| Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion | |
| In office October 26, 2021 – July 26, 2023 |
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| Prime Minister | Justin Trudeau |
| Preceded by | Bardish Chagger (Diversity and Inclusion) |
| Succeeded by | Sean Fraser (Housing) Kamal Khera (Diversity and Inclusion) |
| Minister of Families, Children and Social Development | |
| In office November 20, 2019 – October 26, 2021 |
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| Prime Minister | Justin Trudeau |
| Preceded by | Jean-Yves Duclos |
| Succeeded by | Karina Gould |
| Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship | |
| In office January 10, 2017 – November 20, 2019 |
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| Prime Minister | Justin Trudeau |
| Preceded by | John McCallum |
| Succeeded by | Marco Mendicino |
| Member of Parliament for York South—Weston |
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| Assumed office October 19, 2015 |
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| Preceded by | Mike Sullivan |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1976 (age 48–49) Mogadishu, Somalia |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Political party | Liberal |
| Spouse | Ebyan Farah |
| Residence | Vaughan, Ontario |
| Alma mater | York University University of Ottawa |
| Profession | Lawyer, activist |
Ahmed Hussen is a Canadian lawyer and politician. He was born in 1976. He is currently the Minister of International Development. He has held this job since July 26, 2023.
Ahmed Hussen is a member of the Liberal Party. He has been a Member of Parliament (MP) since 2015. He represents the area of York South—Weston in Toronto.
Before his current role, he was the Minister of Housing, Diversity and Inclusion. He also served as the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development. His first cabinet job was Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship.
Ahmed Hussen is the first Somali-Canadian person to be elected to the House of Commons. He is also the first to hold a job in the federal Cabinet.
Contents
Ahmed Hussen's Early Life and School
Ahmed Hussen was born and grew up in Mogadishu, Somalia. He has five older brothers and sisters. His father worked as a long-distance truck driver. Ahmed learned English from a cousin while living there.
His family had to leave Mogadishu because of the Somali Civil War. He was 15 years old when the war reached their home. They gathered some things and left Somalia. They lived in Kenya for a while. They stayed in a camp in Mombasa and then in apartments in Nairobi.
Two years later, Ahmed Hussen moved to Canada as a refugee. His parents bought him a plane ticket to Toronto. Two of his brothers were already living there. He first stayed with a cousin in Hamilton. In 1994, he moved to Toronto. He settled in Regent Park in 1996.
He finished high school in Hamilton. He wanted to go to university in the United States. He even got three running scholarships. But he could not go because of a Canadian government rule. This rule delayed giving permanent residency to people from Somalia.
Ahmed Hussen later went to York University. He earned a degree in History in 2002. He then studied law at the University of Ottawa. He became a lawyer in 2012. He focused on immigration and criminal law.
Ahmed Hussen is married to Ebyan Farah. She is also a Somali-Canadian refugee. They have three sons together.
Starting His Career
Ahmed Hussen began working in public service in 2001. He first volunteered at the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. The next year, he was hired as an assistant. He worked for Dalton McGuinty, who was the leader of the Ontario Liberal party.
When McGuinty became the premier of Ontario in 2003, Hussen was promoted. He became a special assistant. For two years, he helped with important issues, policies, and communications.
Hussen also worked with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. He was part of a committee that helped young people with national security issues.
He also started the Regent Park Community Council. This group helped with a big project to improve Regent Park. It was the largest project of its kind in Canada. He made sure the interests of over 15,000 residents were protected.
Ahmed Hussen is currently the national president of the Canadian Somali Congress (CSC). Under his leadership, the CSC worked with other groups. They created the Canadian Somali-Jewish Mentorship Project. This project helps young people from both communities.
In 2010, the Canadian Somali Congress also started the Somali Women Scholarship Program. Ahmed Hussen is a founder of this program.
Until 2012, Hussen was a member of the Cross-Cultural Roundtable on Security. This group brought together people from different cultures. They talked about government policies and programs. This helped build understanding between the government and Canadians.
His Political Journey
Becoming a Member of Parliament
In December 2014, Ahmed Hussen decided to run for a seat in Parliament. He wanted to represent the York South—Weston area. He won the nomination for the Liberal Party.
In the 2015 Canadian federal election, he won the election. This made him the first Somali-Canadian to be elected to the House of Commons.
Minister of Immigration, Citizenship and Refugees
On January 10, 2017, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made Ahmed Hussen the Minister of Immigration. This was a big step. It made him the first Somali-Canadian to be part of the government's Cabinet.
As immigration minister, Hussen announced a plan in 2017. Canada would welcome almost one million immigrants over three years. The number of new immigrants would increase each year. This plan aimed to help with Canada's need for more workers. It also helped people seeking safety.
Minister of Families, Children and Social Development
After the 2019 federal election, Hussen's job changed. He became the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development. In this role, he worked on programs that help families and children.
Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion
After the 2021 federal election, Ahmed Hussen moved to a new role. He became the Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion. In this job, he focused on making housing more affordable. He also worked on making Canada a more diverse and welcoming place for everyone.
Awards and Recognition
Ahmed Hussen has received many awards for his public work. In 2004, the Toronto Star newspaper named him one of the top 10 people. They said he made important contributions to Toronto.
In 2017, he received the Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Award. This award celebrates immigrants who have achieved great things in Canada.
He also received the Queen's Gold and Diamond Jubilee medal. He was given the Ontario Non-Profit Housing Authority Award too. This was for his work in improving housing in Regent Park.
Electoral Record
| Canadian federal election, 2021: York South—Weston | ||||||||
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| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
| Liberal | Ahmed Hussen | 21,644 | 56.1 | -2.3 | $74,095.01 | |||
| Conservative | Sajanth Mohan | 7,783 | 20.2 | +1.3 | $20,850.17 | |||
| New Democratic | Hawa Mire | 6,517 | 16.9 | -0.5 | $57,283.18 | |||
| PPC | Sitara Chiu | 1,754 | 4.5 | +3.0 | none listed | |||
| Green | Nicki Ward | 872 | 2.3 | -1.4 | $1,360.28 | |||
| Total valid votes/expense limit | 38,570 | 99.0 | – | $109,157.97 | ||||
| Total rejected ballots | 404 | 1.0 | ||||||
| Turnout | 38,974 | 51.1 | ||||||
| Eligible voters | 76,304 | |||||||
| Liberal hold | Swing | -1.8 | ||||||
| Source: Elections Canada | ||||||||
| Canadian federal election, 2019: York South—Weston | ||||||||
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| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
| Liberal | Ahmed Hussen | 25,976 | 58.42 | +12.45 | $96,745.62 | |||
| Conservative | Jasveen Rattan | 8,415 | 18.93 | -0.29 | none listed | |||
| New Democratic | Yafet Tewelde | 7,754 | 17.44 | -12.95 | $55,295.42 | |||
| Green | Nicki Ward | 1,633 | 3.67 | +1.63 | $1,307.06 | |||
| PPC | Gerard Racine | 685 | 1.54 | - | $2,285.36 | |||
| Total valid votes/expense limit | 44,463 | 98.72 | ||||||
| Total rejected ballots | 575 | 1.28 | +0.46 | |||||
| Turnout | 45,038 | 56.75 | -4.37 | |||||
| Eligible voters | 79,364 | |||||||
| Liberal hold | Swing | +6.37 | ||||||
| Source: Elections Canada | ||||||||
| Canadian federal election, 2015: York South—Weston | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
| Liberal | Ahmed Hussen | 20,093 | 46.0 | +13.2 | $82,886.06 | |||
| New Democratic | Mike Sullivan | 13,281 | 30.4 | −9.7 | $155,467.41 | |||
| Conservative | James Robinson | 8,399 | 19.2 | −5.1 | $16,183.98 | |||
| Libertarian | Stephen Lepone | 1,041 | 2.4 | – | $202.00 | |||
| Green | John Johnson | 892 | 2.0 | −0.8 | $455.00 | |||
| Total valid votes/Expense limit | 43,706 | 100.0 | $203,875.44 | |||||
| Total rejected ballots | 362 | 0.82 | +0.02 | |||||
| Turnout | 44,068 | 62.63 | +9.53 | |||||
| Eligible voters | 70,361 | |||||||
| Liberal gain from New Democratic | Swing | +11.45 | ||||||
| Source: Elections Canada | ||||||||
See also
In Spanish: Ahmed Hussen para niños
