Marc Miller Replaces Sean Fraser as Canada’s New Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship in Cabinet Reshuffle

In a recent cabinet reshuffle led by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Marc Miller has been appointed as the new Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship, taking over from Sean Fraser, who held the role since October 2021. Marc Miller, a Quebec Liberal MP and aged 50, has previously served as the Minister of Crown Indigenous Relations.

Having attended College Jean-de-Brebeuf at the same time as Prime Minister Trudeau, Miller and Trudeau share a history of friendship. Miller’s impressive educational background includes degrees from both the University of Montreal and McGill University, where he earned a law degree.

Sean Fraser, the outgoing Minister, faced his share of challenges during his tenure. With the pandemic’s aftermath affecting operations, he grappled with a backlog of over 2.5 million applications, resulting from reduced processing capacity due to pandemic-related restrictions. Despite these difficulties, Fraser’s time at Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada is viewed as a success.

During his term, Fraser oversaw the successful introduction of occupation-specific draws within the Express Entry system, which started in June. Additionally, he unveiled plans in his recent Immigration Levels Plan to increase the number of newcomers to Canada, addressing the nation’s chronic labor shortage and aging population.

Moreover, Fraser played a pivotal role in Canada’s response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine from an immigration perspective, implementing special measures to facilitate the relocation of tens of thousands of individuals seeking refuge from the conflict.

Recently, the government introduced a pathway to permanent residence as part of a comprehensive package of measures aimed at providing opportunities for those seeking to call Canada their home.