Issue 50 December 2020
Kia ora koutou and welcome to the December edition of Bridging the Gap. I’m Helen Crabb, the Interpreter Coordinator for MBIE.
On this page
The information in this newsletter was accurate at the time it was sent in December 2020.
For up-to-date information about COVID-19, visit the Unite against COVID-19 website.
Unite against COVID-19 (external link)— Te Whatu Ora — Health New Zealand
Language Assistance Services Programme update
Interpreting services are key to the successful settlement and integration of New Zealand’s migrant and refugee communities. Interpreters bridge the communication gap between MBIE and our non-English speaking clients.
As part of the cross-government Language Assistance Services Programme, MBIE is introducing changes to improve face-to-face interpreting services delivery across government.
A panel of professional language services providers with nationwide coverage will be formed and segmented by language, geographical location/s and speciality. The panel of service providers will provide face-to-face interpreting services between English and a wide range of other languages, including New Zealand Sign Language and Te Reo Māori.
The new model will outsource service delivery to professional language service providers and represents a shift from many agencies’ current models (including MBIE’s)
The new model will be launched from 1 July 2021. MBIE anticipates transitioning across to this new model at this time. Other government agencies may transition across at different timeframes.
Details about the professional Language Service Providers appointed to provide face-to-face interpreting services across Auckland and more broadly New Zealand as part of the new model will be available from April 2021 on the Language Assistance Services I encourage you to approach them as soon as possible.
Should you have any specific questions, feel free to contact me Helen Crabb email.
Review of the processes and procedures for making refugee and protection status determinations
The working group considering the Casey Review of the processes and procedures for making refugee and protection status determinations has had its final meeting.
Some of the changes, for instance to interview times, will affect interpreters. The changes will be announced in January 2021 and I will communicate with you again then.
Immigration Update
Refugee Quota Programme
On Saturday 17 October a family of 4 quota refugees arrived in New Zealand. This was the first case to arrive in New Zealand under the refugee quota programme since it was put on hold in March 2020 due to COVID-19. This is in line with recent Ministerial agreement to restart the refugee quota programme for emergency cases. Once their isolation was completed they went to the Mangere Refugee Resettlement Centre while housing and settlement support was finalised.
A small number of emergency cases have been accepted this year and they are arriving at Mangere at staggered intervals, depending on availability of flights.
Refugee Status Unit
The Refugee Status Unit is continuing to process claims for refugee status.
The COVID-19 pandemic and New Zealand’s lockdown and border restrictions have had an impact on decision processing times and overall refugee and asylum claim numbers. As at the end of November 2020, 210 claims have been received for the 2020/2021 year and there were 589 claims on hand.
So as you can see, there is plenty of work coming up in the refugee status area!
Border and Visa Operations
The New Zealand border is currently closed to almost all travellers to help stop the spread of COVID-19.
Only a small number of people can travel to New Zealand, such as New Zealand citizens and people with a critical purpose to travel. You may need to request to travel first.
Australia has announced passengers from New Zealand can travel to Australia, quarantine-free, from Friday 16 October, if they have not been in an area designated a COVID-19 hotspot in New Zealand in the preceding 14 days.
Entry to New Zealand from all countries, including Australia, remains strictly controlled to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Travellers to New Zealand from all countries are tested for COVID-19 and a 14-day managed quarantine or isolation is mandatory.
A voucher confirming your place in a managed isolation facility needs to be arranged before boarding a flight. If arriving in New Zealand after 12am on 3 November 2020, you must present your voucher to airlines to board your flight.
Here is the link to the website for COVID border changes: COVID-19 Website(external link)
Please continue to take care of yourself and one another
We need to continue to look after our physical and mental health and look out for one another.
Now we are at Alert Level 1, we could think things are almost back to normal, however we need to continue to be vigilant against COVID-19. If you develop any symptoms as listed on the Ministry of Health's website(external link), please stay at home and contact Healthline and follow their instructions.
In particular have you, or any person with whom you are in close contact, experienced any of the following symptoms in the past two weeks (14 days)?
- A cough
- A high temperature
- Shortness of breath
- A sore throat
- Sneezing and runny nose
- Temporary loss of smell
If you are currently experiencing any of these symptoms do not visit any MBIE offices or attend any face to face interpreting assignments.
I will not share these health updates directly with you anymore, but if you wish to receive them, you can contact both Samantha Bennett (Manager) or Raj Singh (Project Manager) from the Asian, Migrant & Former Refugee Health Gain Team, Waitematā DHB and Auckland DHB, and ask to be included in the distribution list.
As important as our physical health is, we need to make sure we look after our mental health as well and remember that it's ok to ask for help when you need it.
Try using the Mentemia app(external link), which helps Kiwis cope & thrive through Covid-19. Mentemia is an app that coaches mental wellbeing and is free to all New Zealanders. Take a moment to practice mindfulness or have a chat with a friend. Whatever you do, please make time for your wellbeing.
If you need to debrief after an immigration interview, or wish to talk to a professional counsellor, please contact The Employee Assistance Programme(external link). The Employee Assistance Programme is a professional and confidential service paid for by MBIE available in many locations throughout New Zealand. You can phone them on 0800 327-669 to arrange a secure debrief or counselling session. Note this offer is for debriefing about interviews booked by MBIE, and not for personal issues.
‘Translation machines’: Interpretation gaps plague French asylum process
The New Humanitarian, 27 October 2020(external link)
France received nearly 120,000 asylum requests in 2019 – more than any EU country bar Germany. The numbers applying for protection have increased every year since 2015, but successive French governments have failed to match this rising demand with sufficient funding. One of the most glaring gaps is the lack of quality language interpreters, who play a critical role in the legal process.
Rare languages
Recently we have been searching for interpreters in:
- Mongolian
- Kiribati
- Tokelauan
- Nuiean
- Malay
- Kinyarwanda
- Rohingya
- Tigrinya
- Turkish
- Tongan
- Samoan
- Bengali
- Tamil (Sri Lankan)
- Burmese, Kayah and Chin
- Cambodian/Khmer
- Fijian
- Te Reo Māori
- Ndebele
- Pashto
- Somali
- Swahili
- Tagalog
- Luganda
- Igbo
- Amharic
If you know anyone who interprets one of these, or another rare language, please ask them to get in touch with me. We have over 100 languages on our list, but it’s still not enough!
This year we needed interpreters in 35 different languages, ranging from Arabic and Mandarin to Mongolian and Malay. Thank you all for your contribution.
Interpreter reference resources
Interpreters have their own resource page on the Immigration New Zealand (INZ) website which has many useful tools, such as immigration and refugee related terminology.
Interpreter Reference Resources
Glossaries
Refugee claims based on a person’s religion or beliefs are common. The terms used by some religious groups can be unfamiliar, or carry a special meaning.
To help with your preparation for these types of interviews we have added some new glossaries to the Interpreters’ page. These glossaries include Falun Gong and Church of Almighty God which is specifically for interpreters of Chinese languages.
If you feel there are any other areas that would benefit from a glossary being created please let us know.
On the same page, under ‘Further self-study’, you can find feedback from our interpreter dilemma training.
Contact details
You can contact me, Helen Crabb by phone: (09) 928 2227 or email: helen.crabb@mbie.govt.nz
If you need to call me urgently, please call as soon as possible on my mobile 027 245-7942. For routine enquiries, please call the office number or email me as above.
If you need urgent help, or to cancel an interpreting appointment at RSU at the last minute, please call the Refugee Status Unit: (09) 928 2236, or email rsu@mbie.govt.nz.
Have a safe and happy holiday everyone. See you in the New Year!