The Immigration and Refugee Board has identified almost 200 cases involving a contracted interpreter, who is facing fraud-related charges for allegedly dispatching unauthorized individuals to do the work on his behalf at virtual hearings.
The arrest of a certified interpreter in Kiswahili/Swahili, Kinyarwanda and Kirundi has raised privacy concerns for vulnerable asylum seekers as the board has transitioned increasingly to online hearings since the early days of the pandemic.
