The Refugee Translation Project

The Refugee Translation Project provides free, professional translation services for refugees seeking asylum in the New York metro area. We offer English translations of asylum statements originally written in Turkish and in Arabic. As the project picks up momentum, we will add more languages to our services.

We serve refugees who have fled their countries under threat of imprisonment, torture, and even death. Those who make it to the New York area and wish to stay here must submit personal statements in English. One of the most important factors for asylum seekers is that they can fully convey their stories to their lawyers and to the courts. These statements are crucial to the refugees' success. Unfortunately, many of these people have lost almost everything they own and cannot afford to pay for the speedy translation of these important documents. To ease the burden, the Refugee Translation Project offers these professional translation services for free so that refugees can focus their limited resources on making a home here. 

The fundraising goal is to create a fund that will pay for the translation of asylum statements. The project already produces translations for Turkish-speaking refugees and is actively looking for an Arabic translator. Once we have our initial fund of $3500, we plan expand our offerings to more people and groups working with refugees in the New York area in order to connect with clients in need. After this first phase we will evaluate the areas of need, expand the languages and organizations we work with and continue fundraising to meet identified needs.  

The costs of translations depend of on the word count and original language. Asylum letters range from 1500 – 6000 words, costing $150 to $660 to translate.

Refugees who have arrived in the New York area seeking asylum are oftentimes in extreme financial straits. As newly arrived immigrants, their community networks and access to resources are limited. The costs of translating the statements necessary to apply for asylum can be a huge financial burden. The Refugee Translation Project relieves this particular burden so that these people can concentrate their resources on planting roots in their new home.