Back in March of 2021, we shared the story of Yusuf, who was granted asylum in the US, but had to leave his wife and three daughters in South Africa because they did not have US visas. Even after we translated their family reunification papers and they were granted asylum, they remained stuck in South Africa due to embassy closures during the pandemic. Yusuf’s family was finally reunited in the US this year!
Your support makes these exciting victories possible!
The Refugee Translation Project’s Road to Safety Campaign aims to raise funds to provide translation services to people directly affected by war and violence, in particular but not limited to people fleeing Afghanistan and Ukraine. The Taliban takeover of Afghanistan and the Russian invasion of Ukraine has created over 4.5 million refugees. Translation plays a crucial role in an immigration application because it is the only mechanism by which a displaced person can convey their experiences accurately to a court or immigration officer. Without access to translation, a person’s application cannot be processed, or their case may be rejected – oftentimes with life-or-death consequences. In addition to translating documents for immigration cases, we also translate critical information to help people access resources.
Our Ukrainian and Russian translators are eager to assist people fleeing conflict and persecution. At the same time, our commitment to Afghan asylum seekers and refugees remains robust. The Refugee Translation Project has been providing IRAP with live interpretation and document translation services at legal clinics for Afghan clients. Hundreds of people have received free legal advice at these clinics. In the coming weeks, we will be helping many of these attendees prepare for their immigration court cases by translating their documents. We have also translated guides in both Pashto and Dari to help with this process.
To ensure the safety of all people who have had to leave their homes, we have launched our new Road to Safety fundraising campaign. We aim to raise funds to provide translation services to people directly impacted by war and violence. Please consider making a donation today. Thank you!
Access is at the heart of what the Refugee Translation Project does. Access to justice, access to the immigration system, access to information that helps keep individuals, families, and communities safe. We were thrilled to hear NYC council member Carlos Menchaca celebrate the Refugee Translation Project at our Artist Spotlight event in December. Carlos is an indefatigable champion for NYC’s immigrant community, who funded a robust adult literacy services program as well as the country’s largest public defender program for undocumented immigrants, granting thousands of people access to justice and information. Carlos also authored the legislation for IDNYC, an ID card that enables all New Yorkers, regardless of immigration status, to access benefits and programs, open a bank account, take the high school equivalency exam, and enter their children’s schools.
“As an elected official and representative in a city like New York where immigrants are so imbedded into the fabric of the city,” Carlos told us at the event, “there are so many gaps that government leaves, and language access is one of them, that people, unless they go through it, don’t really understand it.” With the support of elected officials and activists like Carlos the Refugee Translation Project provides free translation services to people seeking asylum and other immigration relief. We also work closely with our partner organizations in New York City to translate vital information that help people better understand the immigration process, local and federal laws, and the services that are available to them.
As we enter 2022, we are excited to continue our efforts alongside our new Council Members to provide language access to New Yorkers.
Refugee Translation Project 