Personnalité Afro ⭐
Ahmed
Hussen
From refugee camps in Africa to the head of ministries in Canada

Born in 1976, this Canadian lawyer of Somali origin has been a member of the Canadian Parliament representing the voters of York South-Weston since October 2015.As such, he is the first of the Somalis to hold this position in the House of Commons and the first also to hold the positions of minister in the Federal Government.
Son of a truck driver…
Born into a modest family of six children, to a truck driver father, young Ahmed went through a difficult time with his parents in a country that has experienced civil wars. He was 15 years old when war broke out in his native Somalia. Forced to flee with her parents, the family finds themselves forcibly in refugee camps in neighbouring Kenya. Young Ahmed took the opportunity to learn English. This prepared him to continue his studies in Canada, one of the most generous countries in the world. With the financial contribution of his parents, young Ahmed flies to Canada, where two (2) of his brothers are already living. He was welcomed and hosted in Hamilton before he moved to Toronto in 1994.
…. he takes his studies seriously
Arriving in Canada, equipped with a rudimentary english, the young prodigy wasted no time. He completed high school in Hamilton before enrolling at York University (Toronto) for a Bachelor’s degree in History, which he taught in 2002. The Somali immigrant to whom Canada offers a chance, decides not to leave anything to chance and halfway. After his bachelor’s degree, he continued his university education in Ottawa, the capital of the country, where canada’s federal parliament sits. Perhaps it is at this level that he has the desire to serve his adopted country at the highest level. However, after graduating from the University of Ottawa with a law degree, Mr. Hussen took the bar exam in September 2012 and specializes in immigration and refugee law, criminal law and human rights law, which he practiced with his firm in Toronto.
Service to the community
Nourished by his own experience as a refugee and immigrant, the young lawyer began his career by serving the community. It was first in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario that the young lawyer found a volunteer position. With seriousness and hard work, he was later noticed by the then leader of the opposition, Dalton McGuinty, who offered him a position as special assistant for intergovernmental affairs. It was November 2003. The future federal minister does his job with seriousness, fidelity and devotion. It is logically, with the election of Dalton McGuinty’s Liberals, that he experienced a rise. He was entrusted with the management of the Policy and Communication portfolios. At the same time, Mr. Hussen continues his service to the community. Specifically to the Somali community in Canada. He chairs several community associations, including the Canadian Somali Congress (CSC).
Federal political career
With such hard work, sustained service to the community and loyalty to his party, the young lawyer sees himself firmly established in his community. He therefore launched himself into the race for the Federal Parliament. In December 2014, it was with flying colours who won the seat of York Sud-Weston in front of six aspirants and thus became the first Somali immigrant to enter the Parliament of Canada. In 2017, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau honoured him with the appointment of Minister ofImmigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Two years later, the Prime Minister asked him to head the Ministry of Family, Children and Social Development.