Asylum & Refugee Translation
Specialist translation for asylum and refugee cases at LAA rates — country evidence, witness statements, tribunal bundles, and Home Office documentation.
Translation Services for Asylum & Refugee
Asylum and refugee cases are among the most complex and high-stakes matters in immigration law. Applicants are seeking international protection from persecution, and the quality of the evidence presented — much of which requires translation — can determine whether someone receives refugee status or faces return to a country where their life may be at risk.
We support legal aid solicitors across England and Wales with documents used in asylum claims, appeal preparation, further representations and judicial review proceedings. A wide range of language pairs can be reviewed, with availability confirmed for the required language, document type and deadline.
We understand that asylum work can involve time-critical deadlines, including tribunal directions and urgent evidence requirements. Urgent and same-day requests may be available depending on the language pair, document volume, source quality and linguist capacity, so the deadline should be confirmed before instruction.
Documents We Translate for Asylum & Refugee Cases
We handle all document types commonly required in asylum & refugee proceedings. Every translation is produced by a linguist with specific asylum & refugee expertise and is certified for court use.
- Asylum screening interview (ASI) records
- Substantive asylum interview (SAI) transcripts
- Country of origin information (COI) reports from CPIN, EASO, and expert sources
- Home Office reasons for refusal letters (RFRL)
- Witness statements and detailed personal narratives
- Medical and medico-legal reports documenting torture and ill-treatment
- Country expert reports from academic and NGO sources
- First-tier Tribunal and Upper Tribunal bundles
- Skeleton arguments and legal submissions
- Fresh claim submissions and further representations
- Evidence of identity — national ID, military service records, political party membership
- Bail applications, release on temporary admission documents, and detention reviews
Asylum translation requires translators who understand the asylum decision-making process. The Home Office and Immigration Tribunal assess credibility partly by comparing an applicant oral testimony with documentary evidence. If translations are inaccurate or inconsistent, this can be used — unfairly — to undermine credibility.
Our asylum translators understand the importance of literal accuracy in screening and substantive interview records. These documents record what the applicant said through an interpreter, and any translation of these records into English must preserve every detail — including apparent inconsistencies that the applicant legal team may need to explain in submissions.
Our Approach to Asylum & Refugee Translation
For country of origin documents, we match translators by country expertise — not just language. An Arabic speaker from Lebanon will not have the same understanding of Sudanese administrative documents as a Sudanese Arabic speaker. We ensure the right specialist for every document.
We handle medico-legal reports with particular sensitivity. The Istanbul Protocol documentation of torture requires translators who can accurately render clinical findings without sanitising or dramatising the content. Our translators working on these documents receive specific guidance.
For detained or otherwise urgent asylum matters, provide the documents and required deadline as early as possible. We will review the language pair, volume and complexity and confirm whether an expedited turnaround can be accommodated.
Asylum & Refugee Translation Pricing
Our published rates guide currently uses £100 per 1,000 source words for civil/family matters and £109 per 1,000 source words for criminal matters. The applicable rate, scope, certification requirements and any additional charges are confirmed in the quotation, with funding and recoverability subject to the relevant LAA rules.
Civil / Family Rate
£100
per 1,000 words
Criminal Rate
£109
per 1,000 words
Other Legal Sectors We Cover
We provide specialist translation across all areas of legal aid work.
Family Law Translation
Immigration Law Translation
Criminal Law Translation
Need Asylum & Refugee Translation?
Send the documents, language pair and deadline for review. We will confirm the scope, applicable rate, certification requirements and available turnaround before work begins.