Re: Syrian refugee crisis.
 

Same as James.... Why would anyone even begin to give any credence to that man. Didn't watch it. Don't intend to.

Re: Syrian refugee crisis.
 

It doesn't really matter whether someone says something reasonable or correct for a change when they usually come out with bunkum. If it's right or reasonable, one has already heard it before so there's no point in hearing a nutter say something sensible you've heard before. It doesn't stop them being a nutter.

People say even a stopped watch is right twice a day. But you're not going to wear it on your wrist are you. :rofl:

Re: Syrian refugee crisis.
 

Whilst in German this article raises soon very important (and non partisan points) about the power of the interpreters. Basically in Germany because of the numbers of Asylum seekers you've got un-sworn low paid individuals sitting at a table translating stories for German government officials with them being the only one at the table that knows what is being said. What an opportunity for corruption, extortion or miscarriages of justice.

Flüchtlinge: Die gefährliche Macht der Dolmetscher - DIE WELT

Re: Syrian refugee crisis.
 

My German is not brilliant, but it seems to me that article is highlighting potential issues with the lack of (or the BAMF's unwillingness to pay for) professional interpreters. Unless I missed it, there is not a single instance cited where this theoretical problem has been seen in reality - either to help somebody get into Germany who shouldn't, or to prevent somebody being accepted who should.

It is a fact in any interrelationship between parties that do not share a common language, that everybody relies on the interpreter to offer a fair and honest translation. International organizations such as the EU and the UN, not to mention foreign forces operating in, say, Iraq or Afghanistan, have managed to function perfectly adequately with people offering interpretation or simultaneous translation services. Depending on the situation, those people are either highly qualified and carefully regulated (EU/UN assemblies) or pulled off the street because they can do the job under difficult circumstances (the battalions of interpreters who worked for US, Canadian and British forces in Afghanistan, for example - many of whom have now immigrated to those Western countries and have integrated successfully).

I'm not quite sure what your point is with this particular article in the context of this thread. It seems to be a very insignificant red herring as far as I'm concerned (it's telling that the article was in Die Welt's business section, not its news section).

Re: Syrian refugee crisis.
 

I think the strategy is "fear by a thousand red herrings" or something equally preposterous. ;)

Re: Syrian refugee crisis.
 

I respectfully suggest that it does if that is the matter being discussed.

Or, to put it another way: If the person saying the thing is man that nobody disputes is highly principled (say Mr. Corbyn) that doesn't matter if what he is saying is complete, to use your words, bunkum, does it?

Re: Syrian refugee crisis.
 

Don't let the Chinese get involved or the red herrings might suffer death by a thousand cuts.

Re: Syrian refugee crisis.
 

I agree. If the matter was being discussed. It wasn't.

Someone posted what he said, possibly hoping for a discussion and a couple of posters stated they weren't interested in what he had to say. ;)

Re: Syrian refugee crisis.
 

The European Asylum system is very highly regulated and legalistic yet without profession regulated interpreters there is a very high risk that incorrect decisions could be made. Keeping trust in the system is essential and making sure there is a totally accurate translation at all times is a small part of that.

Re: Syrian refugee crisis.
 

Can you provide a single shred of evidence of this "very high" risk ever having been borne out? Die Welt couldn't, presumably, or they might have quoted it. So instead a purely hypothetical, shit-disturbing, fear-mongering article was buried in the business section, dressed up as a regulatory compliance or pay-equality story.

If that's the best the anti-immigrant xenophobes can do, they'll have to work a little harder.

Re: Syrian refugee crisis.
 

My first thought when I read that was that's what I used to deal with on a semi daily basis in the NHS:lol:

Re: Syrian refugee crisis.
 

Poor translation is just as likely to result in a wrongly turned down claim as a wrongly accepted claim. Did that possibility not occur to you? Or were just jumping to conclusions once again? Why do you think Asylum claims are sometimes successful on appeal? Maybe a mistake was made initially?

Re: Syrian refugee crisis.
 

Paw, in the interests of impartiality, can you post some obscure German articles that discuss the positive aspects of Syrian refugees, and why Germany is going to continue to be a European powerhouse because of it.

Re: Syrian refugee crisis.
 

I made no distinction between claims wrongly dismissed or claims wrongly allowed. Of course that possibility occurred to me, and was explicitly pointed out half-a-dozen posts above the one your quoted. That is your prejudice, not mine.

I ask again: have you any evidence of mistakes made due to under-regulated translation services? As I said, I haven't seen "a single instance cited where this theoretical problem has been seen in reality - either to help somebody get into Germany who shouldn't, or to prevent somebody being accepted who should." But then again, I haven't looked very hard, because it's not a very important issue in the grand scheme of things.

Re: Syrian refugee crisis.
 

A rough translation of one part of the article.

"refugees often only find that their information has been translated incorrectly when they look at the rejection of Asylum letter with an interpreter and a lawyer" It then goes on to mention that the refugees often can't afford to pay for a lawyer. Quotes from Bernd Mesovic manager at Pro Asyl (human rights organisation).