Dari and Pashto Interpreters Assist Evacuees with Immigration Process

The U.S. immigration system is complex and can be difficult to understand, and even more challenging for limited or non-English speakers. This past year Afghan evacuees resettling in the United States have been provided interpreting services in Dari, Pashto and other languages of the region.  In addition, they have received free legal assistance to help them navigate the immigration process. 

Language access is indispensable for Afghan evacuees and all displaced people resettling in the U.S.  Many local resettlement agencies and human rights organizations have been assisting evacuees with Special Immigration Visas (SIV) and the humanitarian parole process. University of Minnesota Law students assisted evacuees as part of a law team at the Fort McCoy base in Wisconsin in late January.  The students helped prepare asylum or SIV applications and connected Afghans with a national legal network. 

Our interpreters have been providing language services in partnership with The Advocates for Human Rights and several local law firms. The Advocates is a Minneapolis-based, international human rights organization that provides free legal resources for Afghan evacuees. It has Dari and Pashto content on its website including legal self-help videos.

Our professional Dari and Pashto interpreters will continue to work alongside state, local and non-profit agencies as part of this collaborative legal and language services infrastructure