Pashto and Dari interpreters in Minnesota: planning resettlement and legal access

Confirm the language with the person

Pashto and Dari are not interchangeable. Dari is a variety of Persian; Pashto is a separate language. A person who speaks one should not be assumed to understand the other well enough for an interpreted appointment. Ask the person which language they prefer and whether they use a particular variety. Do not infer language from nationality, ethnicity, or a family member’s preference.

If an organization’s intake process records only a broad label such as “Afghan,” update the workflow so staff can record the specific language the person requests. For a high-stakes meeting, confirm the language again before the appointment and give the interpreter enough context to prepare for the subject matter without sharing unnecessary private details.

Prepare the appointment around its purpose

Document-heavy or emotionally difficult appointments often benefit from in-person interpretation because everyone can follow materials and communicate directly. External video may be suitable when participants can see and hear each other clearly and the setting supports remote participation. Lingfaro currently supports scheduled in-person and external video requests; it does not provide phone interpretation or instant connections. For a case in court, use the court’s interpreter process.

• Record the date, start time, expected length, address or video details, and a day-of contact.
• Describe the setting: resettlement intake, benefits discussion, medical visit, school enrollment, attorney meeting, or another purpose.
• Ask whether the person has a preference for in-person or video interpretation, then consider the documents, visuals, privacy, and other participants involved.
• Allow time for introductions, turn-taking, and interpretation of the full exchange; avoid scheduling consecutive meetings with no transition time.
• Tell participants how to raise a language mismatch or communication problem during the appointment.

For legal appointments, ask the responsible authority

Court, immigration, attorney-client, and benefits proceedings do not all use the same interpreter process. Before arranging an interpreter, ask the court, attorney, or program administrator who is responsible for the appointment and which qualifications or procedures apply. For a Minnesota state-court hearing, the Minnesota Judicial Branch directs participants to contact court administration at the court where they are scheduled to appear. Do not use a relative or volunteer as a substitute based on convenience; ask the responsible institution what arrangement is appropriate.

For general resettlement service planning, keep language access in the normal appointment checklist. Ask the program administrator which funding, privacy, and documentation requirements apply to the specific service rather than assuming they are identical across agencies.

• Minnesota Judicial Branch Court Interpreter Program

Plan for availability with clear status

Request interpretation when the appointment is placed on the calendar, especially when travel to an in-person location is involved. Availability depends on the specific language, date, time, location, and format. Treat an inquiry as pending until an interpreter has accepted and the request is confirmed; if it remains unfilled, contact the responsible coordinator and agree on a contingency before the appointment date.

Avoid statements that a particular language is always available or that a certain lead time guarantees a match. Track how early requests are made and how often requests need to be rescheduled, then use your own records to improve planning.

Close the loop after the appointment

A short, consistent record helps a caseworker see whether the problem came from the language selection, scheduling details, technology, or a late change. It also helps staff repeat a person’s stated language preference accurately at a later visit.

• Record whether the appointment took place and the actual format used.
• Note any language or dialect mismatch, access issue, or schedule change in a factual way.
• Give the person a way to report whether they could follow the conversation and ask questions.
• Use operational records to improve future requests while limiting access to sensitive case information.

References

• Minnesota Judicial Branch Court Interpreter Program