Mina interpreting and translation

Mina interpreting, in person and remotely

Our Mina interpreters attend asylum and immigration interviews, GP and hospital appointments, solicitors' offices and court hearings. Telephone interpreting runs 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and video interpreting on our SILA Linguists® app or on Teams, Zoom or a similar tool is a sensible first step when origin is uncertain, because the linguist can quickly confirm whether the client speaks Gen or Cameroonian Mina.

Consecutive interpreting suits most legal and medical work. For community briefings, training or larger events we can arrange simultaneous interpreting, on site or as remote simultaneous interpreting (RSI). Gen speakers often know Ewe and French as well, while Cameroonian Mina speakers commonly use French and Fulfulde; relay through French is possible, but we always try first-language interpreting for evidence and consent. A female or male interpreter can be requested.

Translation and certified translation for Togolese, Beninese and Cameroonian clients

Written Gen follows Togolese spelling with letters such as ɖ, ɛ, ɔ and ŋ, so we check fonts and layout before anything goes to print. We translate letters, statements, health leaflets and community information into Mina, and handwritten notes or messages from Mina into English.

Birth certificates, diplomas and court papers from Togo, Benin and Cameroon are normally issued in French. Our certified translations from French, and from Mina where needed, carry a signed declaration of accuracy, accepted by UK authorities such as tribunals, Home Office caseworkers and admissions teams, and by HR departments, and names are spelled exactly as they appear on passports.

Transcription and origin analysis

We transcribe Mina recordings, including interviews, voice notes and phone calls, into time-coded transcripts with a parallel English translation, and we mark any passages where speakers move into French or Ewe.

Because the name Mina can point to two very different regions, it sometimes comes up in asylum casework. Where a decision depends on where a speaker grew up, SILA Linguists® can provide a LADO report, prepared by experienced analysts.

Sectors we support in Mina

Our vetted, trained and qualified Mina linguists can support immigration advisers, asylum casework teams, courts and solicitors, NHS trusts, maternity teams, local authorities and refugee charities, as well as development organisations with projects in Togo and Benin. You deal with one dedicated coordinator throughout, and every linguist works under non-disclosure agreements and UK GDPR, so sensitive information stays protected from the first call to the final file.