Interpreters creoles sought

Photo archives, Ben Pelosse
Nearly 10 000 people, of which a majority of Haitians have crossed the country this summer.

Benoît Philie

Wednesday, 6 September 2017 20:17

UPDATE
Wednesday, 6 September 2017 20:17

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The canadian government is actively seeking interpreters creole to respond to the massive arrival in Quebec of asylum seekers originally from haiti this summer.

“[We are] in the midst of recruitment of interpreters in several languages, including the creole of Haiti. Given the number of asylum seekers haitians who flock currently in Quebec, there is a pressing need “, indicates the Commission of immigration and refugee status (IRB), in an e-mail sent to the Newspaper.

Since the beginning of the summer, nearly 10,000 people, of which a majority of Haitians have crossed the canadian border in an irregular manner to ask for the status of refugee.

These immigrants must pass an interview on the admissibility of their asylum application at the office of the border services Agency of Canada in Montreal, including the current time limits may be extended beyond six months. They are then summoned to a hearing of the IRB where they should explain the reasons why they wish to remain in the country.

Lack

“The problem is that the majority of these hearings are conducted in the presence of interpreters, explained the immigration lawyer, Stéphane Handfield. But as they can’t split… Is what we are going to find themselves in a situation of lack ? “

“And it is not only asylum seekers haitians… there are Syrians, Yemeni, Mexican… they need interpreters also,” continues the lawyer.

For its part, the IRB states that its ” efforts to recruit new interpreters are deployed at the national and regional level “.

It also ensures that several new performers have started the accreditation process and are the last step in the process of checking the security of the government, without giving numbers or details on the specialization of these translators.

According to Me Handfield, the Commission is already saddled and he is concerned that the government has acted too late.

Hearings postponed

“There are more and more hearings that are postponed due to administrative reasons. Before, it was happening just from time to time, ” he laments.

For its part, the translator creole Marie Eveline Charest believes that the government will hit a wall if it is not hiring now.

“It is sure that there is a lack. And this is not easy to find good interpreters. It is sensitive and you have to look, ” says the lady.

The IRB must provide interpretation services to any party who does not understand or does not speak one of the two official languages.