The Finnish Immigration Service introduced in autumn 2024 the possibility of attending online training for asylum interview interpreters. The aim is to enhance the efficiency of the asylum procedure by strengthening the interpreters' professional skills. Since January 2025, the Finnish Immigration Service requires all interpreters interpreting in asylum interviews to complete the online training.
The Finnish Immigration Service informed that it holds approximately 4,000 asylum interviews per year in over 60 languages. As such, interpretation plays a key role in asylum interviews, as the asylum seeker is given the opportunity to explain the grounds for their application in their own mother tongue. The training offers the interpreters a comprehensive overview of the requirements in the asylum interviews and the expectations from interpreters.
The training provides tools for completing a challenging assignment and is suitable for both experienced and new interpreters.