Rachel Bendayan has been appointed as Canada’s new Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship, succeeding Marc Miller.
Prior to this role, Bendayan served as the Member of Parliament for Outremont, Quebec, and held positions such as Minister of Official Languages and Associate Minister of Public Safety.
Born into a Moroccan-Jewish family and raised in Quebec, she holds degrees in International Development Studies and Law from McGill University. Before entering politics, she practiced law at Norton Rose Fulbright, specializing in litigation and international trade, and taught at the Université de Montréal’s Faculty of Law.
Bendayan’s appointment is part of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s recent cabinet reshuffle as the country prepares for the 2025 federal election.
Her diverse background and extensive experience are expected to influence Canada’s immigration policies in the coming years.
Marc Miller’s Effect on Canada’s Immigration Landscape
During his tenure, Marc Miller implemented significant changes to Canada’s immigration system, primarily aimed at reducing both permanent and temporary immigration to address housing shortages and the high cost of living. Key measures included:
- Reducing Immigration Targets: The government lowered its permanent immigration targets from 500,000 to 395,000 in 2025, with further reductions planned for subsequent years. This move aimed to alleviate pressures on housing and social services.
- Capping International Students: To address housing affordability and integration challenges, a cap was imposed on international student admissions, resulting in a 43% decrease in the first nine months of 2024 compared to the previous year.
- Reforming Temporary Foreign Worker Program: The government introduced restrictions and controls to limit access for companies employing low-wage workers, aiming to protect domestic labor markets and ensure fair treatment of workers.
- Enhancing System Integrity: Reforms to the Express Entry system were implemented to reduce fraud and ensure fairness, including the removal of additional points for job offers, thereby curbing misuse of the Labour Market Impact Assessment process.
