Prism Linguistics provides Zaghawa (Beria) interpreting and certified translation across Canada, for Immigration and Refugee Board hearings, IRCC interviews and medical matters, with civil records usually running from Arabic or French. Zaghawa, known to its speakers as Beria, is spoken across the Chad-Sudan borderlands, including Darfur, and is largely an oral language. Much of the demand in Canada arises from refugee protection tied to the Darfur conflict, and speakers are dispersed, so a good deal of the work is remote.
Last reviewed September 6, 2026 by the Prism Linguistics editorial team
The Zaghawa element of a file is overwhelmingly the interpreting, and much of it arises in refugee protection, given the Darfur conflict. We arrange Zaghawa interpreters for IRB hearings, IRCC interviews, legal aid, and hospital and mental health appointments, in person where one is available and by telephone or video anywhere in the country.
Tell us whether the speaker is from the Chad or the Sudan side of the border and whether Arabic is a reliable fallback, since some speakers command Sudanese or Chadian Arabic well and others do not. For sensitive hearings a gender preference can be noted in advance, and we match the speaker's own variety rather than assume one.
Common settings include legal and court interpreting, medical and hospital interpreting, IRCC and Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) interviews, and police and enforcement work. See all on-site interpreting options or start a free quote.
A recent alphabet, the Beria Giray Erfe, exists but is little used, so almost no everyday document is written in Zaghawa. Sudan issues civil records in Arabic and Chad in French and Arabic, so a family's birth, marriage and death certificates are translated from Arabic or French to English rather than from Zaghawa.
Many Zaghawa speakers from Darfur fled without complete papers, so a file may rest on a late-registered record or none at all. Where an original is missing or was registered late, a sworn affidavit before a commissioner of oaths can accompany the translation to explain how a name or date was established, and we keep a transliterated name consistent across the file. Work is issued by a certified translator, and acceptance ultimately depends on the receiving institution.
For documents rather than spoken interpreting, see certified Zaghawa translation, our full Zaghawa translation services, or general document translation. Every translation moves through our TEP workflow — translation, editing and proofreading by separate linguists — with free revisions.
An interpreter attends in person for hearings, medical appointments and meetings. On-site interpreting
Same-day, often within minutes, for calls, intake and urgent situations. Phone interpreting
Telehealth, remote hearings and sign language, anywhere in Canada. Video interpreting
Simultaneous interpreting for events and multilingual meetings. Conference interpreting
Legal consultations, settlement services and private appointments. Private interpreting
ASL and LSQ interpreting for accessible appointments and events. Sign language
We arrange Zaghawa interpreters in cities across every province and territory — on site in the major centres and by telephone or video everywhere else:
Need documents translated locally? We provide certified Zaghawa translation in the same cities:
Or browse every city we cover.
Zaghawa, known to its own speakers as Beria, is spoken across the Chad and Sudan border and throughout Darfur. Canada has resettled Darfuri refugees since the mid 2000s, so the language appears in refugee claims, IRB hearings and settlement services rather than in paperwork. Documents from the region are in Arabic. Zaghawa is not widely written, so requests are almost always for interpreting, and we confirm interpreter availability before a hearing date is relied upon.
Sudan and Chad issue civil records in Arabic or French, so we translate those to English; the Zaghawa part of your file is the interpreting, since Zaghawa is rarely written.
Yes. A sworn affidavit can accompany a translation to explain how a name or date was established. Acceptance ultimately depends on the receiving institution.
Sometimes, since some speakers command Sudanese or Chadian Arabic well. Tell us at booking and we arrange Zaghawa or Arabic as the speaker prefers.
Tell us the language, the setting and the date through our quote form or by phone. We return a written quote with the exact price and turnaround, usually within 60 minutes during business hours, before you commit.
Tell us the setting, the city and the date, and we will confirm a qualified Zaghawa interpreter and a firm price.