Starting September 13, asylum seekers will again be responsible for bringing their own interpreters to interviews with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), authorities reported Tuesday.
If the migrant does not speak English, does not have an interpreter in the meeting “and does not demonstrate a legitimate reason” for not providing an interpreter, “we may consider this a failure to appear at the hearing and dismiss his asylum application.” USCIS noted. in a statement.
The immigration authority can also refer the case to court. “We will examine on a case-by-case basis whether the reason is justified,” the text says.
Affirmative asylum procedures are those in which the migrant is not in deportation proceedings.
In order for an interpreter to be accepted at an asylum interview, he or she must be over 18 years old and cannot be the applicant’s lawyer or legal representative, a witness, a government official from the country of origin, or another applicant with a pending case.
In March 2020, USCIS began offering in-house telephone interpreting services to immigrants during job interviews to reduce the number of people in the process and prevent the spread of COVID-19.
This rule was extended approximately four times while the U.S. national public health emergency was in effect and will expire on September 12th thereafter the end of this statementlast May.
