Note: This is an interview conducted by the Uzbek section of the Hasht-e Subh Daily with Sayyara Rahmani, a representative of the Immigrant Parliament in France. She states that her primary focus is on addressing the challenges faced by migrant women, providing effective French language training programs, offering specialized psychological support for migrants, enhancing job opportunities, and pursuing formal recognition of the Uzbek language of Afghanistan in France’s immigration services. Her election comes at a time when France has recently introduced stringent immigration laws. Under the new law, the government aims to control illegal migration and limit migrants’ access to social rights. The Immigrant Parliament is a social and advisory body established to amplify the voices of migrants in French policymaking.
Hasht-e Subh Daily: What specific programs do you propose to improve migrants’ French language proficiency to the A2 level?
Rahmani: Facilitating language education tailored to the essential needs of migrants can significantly address this issue. Migrants need to enter the job market as quickly as possible. Language training programs that focus on specific vocational sectors will be highly effective.
As a member of the leadership board of the “Abjad Global Organization,” we have implemented this approach in our activities and have seen how effective short-term language courses can be. Additionally, migrants with a baccalaureate or bachelor’s degree can pursue further education at French universities.
Hasht-e Subh Daily: What programs do you propose to strengthen migrants’ mental health?
Rahmani: Although mental health is typically not a migrant’s primary concern, and a psychologist is often the last resource they seek, we must develop effective mental health programs so that migrants can build confidence and address post-migration challenges.
Psychological services for migrants should be provided with the presence of interpreters to ensure accurate translation of conversations. Additionally, migrant mothers in need of psychological support should receive special attention, and at the very least, they should be provided with the addresses of centers they can visit during the day.
Hasht-e Subh Daily: What are your strategies for connecting migrants to the job market and vocational training programs?
Rahmani: First, the experiences and skills that migrants bring from their home countries should be considered, and opportunities for their integration into the job market of the new society should be created based on those abilities. Language training, if designed around specialized vocabulary relevant to their field, can be highly effective.
Hasht-e Subh Daily: What legal barriers exist in the path to formal employment for asylum seekers, and what are your solutions to overcome them?
Rahmani: The terms “asylum seeker” and “refugee” are distinct. An asylum seeker is someone who has not yet received approval from the immigration authorities. Asylum seekers do not have the right to work or participate in language training programs. In the Immigrant Parliament, we are working on this issue to ensure that asylum seekers are granted the right to work from the moment they arrive in France and have increased access to language training programs.
Hasht-e Subh Daily: What steps do you propose to formalize the Uzbek language in France’s immigration system and public services?
Rahmani: Uzbek-speaking migrants in France face numerous challenges because they do not fully understand Persian. In cases where an Uzbek interpreter is needed, an interpreter from Uzbekistan is typically provided, who often speaks Uzbek mixed with Russian, making mutual understanding difficult.
I am working to integrate the Uzbek language of Afghanistan into France’s immigration system. To achieve this, a number of individuals need to be trained in this area, and then the proposal must be formally submitted to the French government.
Hasht-e Subh Daily: How do you align support programs with the new immigration laws to maintain government control while ensuring migrants have opportunities for growth and social participation?
Rahmani: France is a country with a strong social structure; although legal conditions may become more complex, social institutions have always stood by those in need. Therefore, despite new laws that may complicate service provision, these laws cannot, under any circumstances, hinder support and assistance to migrants.
You can read the Persian version of this interview here:
گفتوگو با سیاره رحمانی: ضرورت گنجاندن زبان اوزبیکی افغانستان در خدمات مهاجرتی فرانسه
