Overcoming language barrier to migrant rights

Your Rights in Northern Ireland’ an online guide to the rights of migrant workers’ has been translated into the nine languages most used by new migrants to Northern Ireland. Jonathan Bell MLA’ OFMDFM Junior Minister’ Les Allamby’ Law Centre (NI) Director’ and Michael O’Flaherty’ Chief Commissioner of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission launched the new guides today’ at the Law Centre’s offices in Belfast.
The documents’ on Law Centre NI and on the Commissions website help migrant workers and their families understand their rights’ entitlements and responsibilities while in Northern Ireland and ensure that they receive the right advice if they encounter any problems.
Originally published by the Law Centre and Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission in 2008-2009’ the guide has been updated to reflect important changes’ notably in immigration law’ and made more user-friendly for migrant workers.
Thanks to further support from OFMDFM’ Belfast City Council and Northern Ireland Strategic Migration Partnership’ the guide has now been translated into nine languages. In response to demand’ 2’000 copies of the Polish document have been printed’ and they are being distributed through Northern Ireland Housing Executive offices and migrant workers support organisations.
Les Allamby’ Law Centre (NI) Director’ said:
‘The original guide was extremely useful and valuable to migrant workers with thousands of copies downloaded from our website. We are delighted to launch the updated version to help new and long-standing migrants understand their legal position. Recent research illustrates that migrant workers are still prone to exploitation’ particularly in certain industries.’
Michael O’Flaherty’ NIHRC Chief Commissioner’ added:
‘Migrant workers are identifiable as one of the most vulnerable and marginalised groups in our society today. The Human Rights Commission is aware of the invaluable resource the guides provide in Northern Ireland. They contain key information on how best to access your rights and public services. We are therefore pleased to continue to work in partnership with the Law Centre in the production of the latest versions.’
A multilingual poster signposting the online guide is available from the Law Centre.
ENDS
NOTES FOR THE EDITOR:
1. The launch is being conducted at the Law Centre’s office’ 124 Donegall Street’ Belfast’ on Monday 13 August at 11.30am. Members of the press are welcome.
2. The guide covers the duties’ rights and entitlements in immigration’ employment’ social security’ health care’ education’ voting’ civil liberties’ human rights and equality. It includes signposts to the relevant advice and statutory agencies.
3. The guide is translated in the following languages: Bulgarian’ Romanian’ Latvian’ Lithuanian’ Polish’ Slovak’ Brazilian Portuguese’ Russian and Chinese. The Polish version is also available in print’ others are online only documents.
4. This important update reflects changes in the status of A8 nationals (ie nationals of the Czech Republic’ Estonia’ Hungary’ Latvia’ Lithuania’ Poland’ Slovakia or Slovenia) from May 2011 as a result of the end of the Worker Registration Scheme which gave them the same rights and entitlements as EEA nationals (nationals of Austria’ Belgium’ Cyprus’ Denmark’ Finland’ Germany’ Greece’ Iceland’ Liechtenstein’ Luxembourg’ Malta’ Netherlands’ Norway’ Portugal’ Rep of Ireland’ Spain’ Sweden and Switzerland). It also reflects changes in the immigration status of many migrants from outside the European Union’ mainly due to the introduction of the Points-Based System.
5. ‘Forced labour in Northern Ireland’ examined the treatment of migrant labour in catering trade’ mushroom picking and fishing industry and found widespread exploitation. The research was produced by the Institute for Conflict Research’ Law Centre (NI)’ An Munia Tober and STEP and was published in 2011 by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.