Skills to Maximise Inclusion through Interpreting and Mediation (SMIIM)

SMIIM LogoThere are 23 official languages, 60 dialects and many other languages spoken by migrants and asylum seekers in Europe. This diversity brings a cultural richness but at the same time potential barriers for speakers who are not fluent in the language of the country where they are living.

 

In the absence of fluency, it is important that there is support and assistance to access public services and achieve a sense of being settled in the local community. With recent migration patterns, there is an increased need for services such as interpreting, translation and community mediation to address the needs of those experiencing a language gap.

This project is therefore designed to help reduce the social barriers and economic obstacles faced by immigrants or refugees. Providing intrepreters and cultural mediators with improved training means they are better placed to reduce communication barriers and draw public services and citizens closer together.