May 19, 2009

Your Guide to the Refugee Claim Process now available in Spanish and coming soon in simplified Chinese

Following closely on the heels of the new (and popular) LSS publication Your Guide to the Refugee Claim Process are two translated versions. This month, LSS is releasing the guide in Spanish and simplified Chinese, with a French translation (for online distribution only) still to come. These booklets combine and replace the Refugee Fact Sheet Series, previously available in English, Spanish, and traditional Chinese. The choice of simplified Chinese this time around reflects that Chinese refugee claimants are now arriving predominantly from mainland China, rather than from Hong Kong.

Your Guide to the Refugee Claim Process explains the process of seeking refugee protection in Canada and where to get legal and other help. Both the Spanish and simplified Chinese versions of the guide have a companion piece: a translation of the Immigration and Refugee Board’s Personal Information Form (PIF). These translated forms are designed to help refugee claimants fill out their official English PIF document. A traditional Chinese version of the PIF (with instructions) is also still available.