Interpreters as catalysts for translation in refugee crises: creating a sense of community and belonging in migrant reception

Abstract

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n today’s multicultural societies, interpreters act as catalysts for translation in social emergency settings, especially in migrant and refugee reception centres. In these critical contexts, interpreters become facilitators who help migrants find meaning and legitimacy in the host country. Taking the context of the 2018 influx of immigrants into Spain as a departing point for our study, this contribution aims at providing a better understanding of the role played by interpreters in enabling communication in migration scenarios, with a particular focus on the impact that the interpreting services (or absence thereof) can have on refugees and asylum seekers. Building on the interpreter’s communicative distance management strategies and the interpreter’s role continuum model as theoretical underpinnings, we developed a survey administered to 36 migrants and 42 workers and volunteers in reception centres in Madrid. Data illustrates to what extent access to competent interpreting services becomes a critical element in responding to the migrants’ needs and fostering feelings of belonging and community among them, as seen from the perspective of beneficiaries.