Thank you, Mr. Chair.
My name is Honorine Ngountchoup. I'm from Cameroon, and I arrived in Canada in 2016.
As a francophone immigrant, I consider myself Canadian given my presence, community involvement and love for Canada.
I am a member of provincial, regional and local boards. I have a full‑time job, and I'm a single mother of a Canadian‑born boy. I created an initiative to encourage my region to discover my culture, to allow newcomers to rediscover some of what they've left behind by coming to Canada and to bring together all the francophones and francophiles in our beautiful country. Through my personality, my background, my vision and my entrepreneurship, I enrich the cultural content of my province. I have created many murals for the francophonie to strengthen people and their experiences.
I am part of the Festival international de Slam/Poésie en Acadie collective, and for the past four years, I have been hosting a program called Francophone à Sommet FM to promote the French language. This makes me an actor in the expansion of the French language. My contribution to my community and the province was considered exceptional. In 2009, I received the campus leadership award from the New Brunswick Community College, the NBCC, in Campbellton, and in 2020, I received the champion of cultural diversity award, individual category, from the New Brunswick Multicultural Council. I continue to be involved in community, artistic and literary projects in my province.
Lately, I've been hearing a lot about systemic racism. Am I experiencing it? That's the question. Would I be able to recognize it at all times? I don't know, because it's a new concept for me. Do I feel that I'm being treated unfairly because of my immigration status? My answer is yes.
It's impossible for me to talk about my immigrant experience in five minutes, so I will sum it up in this slam:
Final decision
September 22, 2021
We regret to inform you that you do not meet the eligibility criteria. Please see the final decision below.
The news fell like a sledgehammer
Right on my head
Right in my heart
Which flutters with fear
In the face of the final hour
Which has now just rung
I want to know the reason for “we regret”.
And then I click
I look and want it to be just a snag
Application Status: Refused
How can it be refused?
Who could have validated the refusal
When I slog away to earn
The status approved
Click on the letter of refusal
The page doesn't work
CIC online services sent an incorrect answer
Refresh 10, 20, 100 times
100 unfortunate wishes sent to the universe
Dreaming that a miracle will turn the verdict upside down
Because I'm tired
And feel exhausted
From completing forms
That one day, will offer me citizenship
Why are they merciless?
Why do they mute themselves?
Why do they ignore reality?
Do they doubt our willingness?
Don't they say that truth sets you free?
My truth did not clear me
Since my background is rich
It took me your days to fill in my forms
To experience trauma, but they don't care
Application refused can't be my outcome
Believe me
I am not guilty of the divide
I am not guilty despite the form
I am guilty of my desire to exist
Guilty of my willingness
Guilty of my thirst for freedom
Above all, guilty of my truth
The one I once nurtured
To want to see the day
In this country of “good days”
Message for the IRCC
In making the next final decision
Think that my son's future isn't trivial
Think that I haven't had any rest in a while
And think that here is already my home
One thing is certain
I have overcome migraines
I have suffered the height of my suffering
I have faith that at the end of my sorrows
I would emerge Queen
Final decision
Slam
To meet the 4.4% target, IRCC needs to clarify the French test issue. I failed a French test, and I had to pay again and redo the entire assessment before applying for residency. It was a hard blow because I was always told that my French was excellent. I grew up, studied and worked in French. Even if you pass that test, the two‑year validity of that test is an additional stress.
Some IRCC services need to be decentralized, such as biometric registration and medical exams. Service Canada and hospitals in rural areas with increasing numbers of francophones can provide services and save us 8‑ to 10‑hour trips for appointments that last between 5 and 40 minutes.
Affordability is also a barrier for enriching francophones who are involved and present on Canadian soil. Accessing the IRCC website is a matter of luck, and talking to an agent on the phone is a feat. All of these aspects put the mental health of immigrants at risk throughout this journey to permanent residence.
I look forward to concrete solutions.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.