Immigrant MPs

As Parliament returns today, and the debate over Bil C-50, the budget bill – including proposed changes to immigration policy – continues, I thought this list of federal members of parliament (MPs) born outside of Canada might be interesting. Some arrived in Canada as children. Information from the Parliament of Canada website.

Conservative Party

Diane Ablonczy, Calgary-Nose Hill, immigrated from the United States, age not specified. Ablonczy was critic for Immigration and Citizenship from 2002 to 2006 and served on the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration.
Tony Clement, Parry Sound-Muskoka, immigrated from England, age not specified. Clement is currently Minister of Health.
Stephen John Fletcher, Charleswood-St.James-Assiniboia, immigrated from Brazil, age not specified.
Nina Grewal, Fleetwood-Port Kells, immigrated from Japan as an adult.
Rahim Jaffer, Edmonton-Strathcona, immigrated from Uganda, age not specified.
Wajid Khan, Mississauga Streetsville, immigrated from Pakistan, age not specified.
Inky Mark, Dauphin-Swan River-Marquette, immigrated from China, around age 11 or 12. Mark and his family were victims of the Chinese exclusion act. Mark served as Conservative critic for Immigration and Citizenship.
Deepak Obrhai, Calgary East, immigrated from Tanzania, age not specified. Obrhai is currently Parliamentary Secretary for Foregin Affairs.
Daniel Petit, Charlesbourg–Haute-Saint-Charles, immigrated from Belgium, age unknown.
Myron Thompson, Wild Rose, immigrated from the United States, age not specified.
Vic Toews, Provencher, immigrated from Paraguay, age 4 or 5.
John Williams, Edmonton-St. Albert, immigrated from Scotland, age not specified.

Liberal Party

Omar Alghabra, Mississauga Erindale, immigrated from Saudia Arabia “at a young age” (not specified).
Susan Barnes, London West, immigrated from Malta at age 5.
Maurizio Bevilaqua, Vaughan, immigrated from Italy, age not specified. Bevilaqua is the current liberal critic for citizenship and immigration.
John Cannis, Scarborough Centre, immigrated from Greece, age not specified.
Raymond Chan, Richmond, immigrated from Hong Kong as a teen. Chan served as Minister of State for Multiculturalism in 2004.
Sukh Dhaliwal, Newton North-Delta, immigrated from India, age not specified.
Ujjal Dosanjh, Vancouver South, immigrated from India to the UK as a teenager and then to Canada.
Raymonde Folco, Laval-Les Îles, immigrated from France, age not specified. Before election as an MP, Folco served on the Immigration Refugee Board and has also served as VP and President of the Conseil des communautés culturelles et de l’immigration.
Hedy Fry, Vancouver Centre, immigrated from Trinidad, age not specified. Fry served as Secretary of State for Multiculturalism from 1996 to 2002 and in the last Parliament, was Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration.
Albina Guarnieri, Mississauga-East Cooksville, immigrated from Italy, age not specified.
Jim Karygiannis, Scarborough-Agincourt, immigrated from Greece to Canada as a teenager. Karygiannis is vocal about immigration issues, see the blog post about immigration wait times impact on children.
Gurbax Singh Mahli, Bramalea-Gore-Malton, immigrated from India, age not specified.
Keith Martin, Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca, immigrated from England, age not specified.
Maria Minna, Beaches-East York, immigrated from Italy at age 9. Minna was president of COSTI-IIAS from 1981 to 1992.
Andrew Telegdi, Kitchener-Waterloo, came to Canada as a refugee from Hungary at age 11. Telegdi was was Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration from 1998 to 2000.
Yasmin Ratansi, Don Valley East, immigrated from Tanzania, age not specified.
Pablo Rodriguez, Honoré-Mercier, immigrated from Argentina, age not specified.
Michael John Savage, Dartmouth-Cole Harbour, immigrated from Ireland, age not specified.
Mario Silva, Davenport, immigrated from Portugal, age not specified. Co-authored a book on Canadian multiculturalism, Fabric of a Nation.
Lui Temelkovski, Oak Ridges-Markham, immigrated from Macedonia, age not specified. Temelkovski cites Prime Minister Trudeau’s multiculturlism as inspiration and served as chair for the Toronto Caravan festival.
Joe Volpe, Eglinton-Lawrence, immigrated from Italy to Canada, age not specified. Volpe was Minister of Citizenship and Immigration 2004-2005.

New Democratic Party

Chris Charlton, Hamilton Mountain, immigrated from Germany, age not specified.
Olivia Chow, Trinity Spadina, immigrated from China, age not specified. Chow speaks on behalf of children’s issues.
Libby Davies, Vancouver East, immigrated from England as a teen.
Peter Stoffer, Sackville-Eastern Shore, immigrated from the Netherlands, age not specified.
Tony Martin, Sault Ste. Marie, immigrated from England, age not specified.

Bloc Québécois

Vivan Barbot, Papineau, immigrated from Haiti, age unknown.
Maria Mourain, Ahuntsic, immigrated from the Ivory Coast, age unknown.
Ève-Mary Thaï Thi Lac, Saint-Hyacinthe-Bagot, immigrated from Vietna, age unknown.