Sudanese Arabic — distinct and increasingly needed
Sudanese Arabic differs substantially from MSA, Gulf, and Levantine Arabic in vocabulary, pronunciation, and grammar. Following the outbreak of conflict in Sudan in 2023, the UK has seen a significant increase in asylum applications from Sudanese nationals — many of whom cannot follow a non-Sudanese interpreter at the level of accuracy a substantive asylum interview demands.
What I bring
- Native-level Sudanese Arabic fluency across the main regional varieties.
- Familiarity with Sudanese tribal, ethnic, geographic, and political terminology that arises repeatedly in asylum and country guidance work.
- NRPSI Full Registration, DPSI Law (Distinction), CTC clearance.
- £1 million professional indemnity insurance.
Common work types
- Home Office substantive asylum interviews.
- First-tier Tribunal appeals concerning Sudan and South Sudan.
- Criminal defence — particularly road traffic, fraud, and immigration-related offences.
- Counsel conferences and expert witness interviews.
- Statement-taking for asylum solicitors.
Rates
Sudanese Arabic is charged at £40/hour for remote and standard panel work (1-hour minimum) and £55/hour for court, counsel, and tribunal engagements (3-hour minimum).