The aim of the project is to support the integration process of Mongolian and Vietnamese speaking immigrants legally residing in the Czech Republic through anonymous phone and internet interpreting and information provision. These immigrants often struggle with an inappropriate command of the Czech language, insufficient knowledge of Czech socio-cultural reality and different culture-specific patterns. These factors cause difficulties to solve problems using their own capacities. This results in searching for commercial mediators and their dependent status is thus only reinforced. Beneficiaries of the project may use services of the infolines to solve problems concerning their legal status and orientation in Czech legal and socio-cultural environment. Interpreting services are mostly used during the contact of the target group with institutions (Department od Asylum and Migration Policy, hospitals, schools, authorities etc.), possibly during other contacts (dealing with employers, landlords, etc.). Information, translation and interpreting services focused on issues of legal status, education, employment, housing, health care and health care insurance are being provided from two workplaces. The clients are also being provided with contacts to institutions and services relevant to particular problem. Although the service can not be defined as a „field social service“, there are some common attributes. It is anonymous, there are no barriers for clients to use the service, it is being provided in clients´ natural environment, its users may decide themselves how they use it, and it also works as a support for the field social work. Infoline services thus facilitate information exchange between foreigners, institutions, authorities, NGOs as well as Czech citizens. In complicated cases when assistance and consulting is involved, the infolines serves as a "sign post“ providing clients with contacts to relevant NGOs and institutions. 

The project is focused on Vietnamese and Mongolian speaking third country nationals with a legal status in the Czech Republic as well as Czech citizens who regularly come in contact with above mentioned foreigners. Mongolian lines are currently operating 8 hours per week (Mo, Wed: 9-11, 14-16 o´clock) and the Vietnamese ones 18 hours per week (Mo, Wed, Sat: 9-12, 14-17 o´clock). Clients may contact the operator either by phone (mong. line: (+420) 733 67 66 67, viet. line: (+420) 605 99 99 69), by an e-mail (mongol.info@charita.cz, vietnam.info@charita.cz) or via Yahoo chat (mongol.info, info_vn2012). Service is provided free of charge and anonymously, clients pay just the price of the call according to her/his phone operator´s rate. Information is provided on legal stay in the Czech Republic, employment, education, social security system, health care system and other relevant information useful for solving clients´ various situations in life. We also provide a telephone assistance in filling out forms, telephone interpretation when dealing with authorities and institutions, and translations related to clients´s residence in the Czech Republic. Infoline operators are also able to search for and hand on the contacts on experts, organizations and institutions helping clients to solve their situation. Promotion of the service is based on distribution of flyers and info cards, other NGOs and migrant associations are being periodically informed, and clients inform each another about our offer. We also participate at various social events (i.e. SAPA ball, „Hudbou z Hue a~ do Prahy“ festival, Refufest music festival), seminars and conferences.

Project team consists of 6 operators – 3 of them for the Mongolian line, 3 for the Vietnamese one, 4 of them are native speakers. Other persons are involved too, i.e. project manager, methodologist, expert assistant and a supervision employee. We observed gradual but steady growth of number of contacts during the first years of service provision, however currently the number of clients is stable (with exceptional ups and downs in specific months). Operators of both Mongolian and Vietnamese lines registered 1491 contacts in the course of last 3 years. Some clients use the service repeatedly. However, the supposed range of services is even higher as some clients help to solve problems of their family members and friends. Services of the infolines are being used by foreigners living in Prague as well as by those living in remote Czech regions, who do not have any NGO-provided service at disposal because they are either very busy (some employees work 10-12 hours daily) or with respect to their place of residence (time and financial demands of traveling to assistance centers residing mainly in district towns) or with regards to family conditions (illness, mothers with small children etc.). The service is provided free of charge and anonymously, thus even clients in difficult situations turn to operators with very serious problems (i.e. psychic problems, HIV-positive patients, people facing family violence, unpaid wages, execution and so on). As the service of the infolines does not contain consultancy, the clients with these difficult problems requesting legal, social, financial, health etc. consultancy are being cross-reffered to other relevant institutions and organizations. However most of clients´ requests use to be related to the issue of residence permits in the Czech Republic, employement, education and health care insurance. Phone interpreting and translation service is frequently used too. Requests of the cilents mainly concern judical decisions and other legal documents.

Since the start in 2008 the project has succeeded in gaining confidence of Mongolian and Vietnamese speaking immigrants in the Czech Republic. The uniqueness of the project is based on the fact that services provided are available anywhere in the Czech Republic (the only condition is either coverage of any mobile operator or functional internet connection) for any client regardless of his/her age and social status while the service is provided free of charge and anonymously. That is also the reason why infoline operators are being contacted even by cliens who would not be able to visit any other consultancy institutions, NGOs and authorities due to their financial situation, family conditions, language obstacles or health state. The infoline provides broad scale of information concerning life of immigrants in the Czech Republic, and thus helps to eliminate unfair behavior or incorrect information of commercial mediators, fight against exploitation of immigrants, and to remove prejudices of foreigners about Czech society as well as prejudices of majority population about foreigners. Translation and interpreting services help to prevent misunderstanding in dealing with authorities, meet the deadlines in clients‘ cases and so on, which has fundamental impact on their life in the Czech Republic. It is also succesful in removing shyness and mistrust immigrants feel towards various Czech institutions. The support of infoline operator has also a positive effect on self-reliance of clients, who are encouraged to believe themselves and do not fear to act without commercial mediators. It would be also necessary to extend the service to Russian-speaking clients in the future, as they still are under strong influence of commercial mediators.

Mongolian and Vietnamese speaking third-country nationals with legal status in the Czech Republic (approx. 5300 Mongolian citizens and 57 300 Vietnamese citizens): - Communication with the Ministry of Interior at the Department of Asylum and Migrant Policy regional offices - Communication with authorities (municipal authorities, job centers, revenue authorities etc.) - Communication with health insurance companies, employers, lawyers, schools, distrainers - Interpretation in the communication with NGOs - Prevention of mistakes - Emancipation of clients, reduction of their dependance on commercial mediators - Provision of information - Impact of the project even on groups of foreigners with difficult access to information Helping municipal and state employees in communication with clients: - Provision of information - Spreading information on services provided among foreigners - Easier and faster communication with clients - Mediation of cultural particularities in communication Employers and private institutions in the Czech Republic: - Interpreting and mediation in conflict-solving with clients NGOs - Spreading information on available services among foreigners

a) Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs b) Ministry of the Interior – the Integration of Foreigners project c) The Refugee Facilities Administration d) Three Wise Men Fundraising Campaign