Multilingual Communication in the Reception of Asylum Seekers: AMICA Gives Everyone a Voice

AMICA stands for “Aligning Multilingual Information provision with Communication needs in Asylum reception.” It encompasses several subprojects and has various objectives, such as identifying communication needs, developing a language registration tool and multilingual audio descriptions, and informing service providers about these tools.

From Written to Spoken Language

Applicants for international protection often include individuals with a vulnerable linguistic profile—those who speak rare languages or have low literacy levels. They, too, require targeted multilingual information. One of AMICA’s goals is to develop multilingual voice-overs and voice notes. The great advantage of voice notes—a spoken version of written text available on platforms—is that applicants can listen to the content instead of reading it. This makes crucial information accessible to those with low literacy levels or visual or other impairments. The same applies to voice-overs, allowing applicants to watch videos in their own language without relying on subtitles that may only appear briefly on the screen.

Before talented voice actors could record the voice-overs and voice notes, we translated the scripts into no fewer than thirteen languages. Our project managers then searched through our pool of specialized resources to find the right individuals to record the scripts. The voice actors recorded the audio clips in the desired quality and delivered flawless audio files ready to be integrated into the videos.

From Spoken to Written Language

As part of the AMICA project, we also provided detailed transcriptions of interviews between researchers and applicants for international protection, assisted by interpreters. Our team handled the transcription of contact languages—Dutch and English—primarily used by researchers and interpreters during the interviews. For transcribing what applicants and interpreters said in Arabic, Tigrinya, Pashto, or Somali, we enlisted native speakers of these languages. They translated their transcriptions into English, which were subsequently also translated into Dutch. Our project managers delivered the results in well-structured files.

Linguistic and Technical Challenges

Complex projects like AMICA come with specific challenges. The transcriptions were carried out in a specialized online tool that allowed for precise time coding. For voice-over editing, we used dedicated software, carefully considering scene changes and the length of the audio clips, as these naturally varied between languages. The extensive expertise within our team, complemented by a broad network of talented freelancers, enabled us to overcome every challenge with ease.

The Results?

Firstly, detailed transcriptions of interviews with applicants allowed researchers to thoroughly analyze their communication needs. Secondly, informative videos in the applicants’ own languages and voice notes that enable them to listen to written text. In short, crucial information presented in various formats, accessible to all and tailored to the applicants’ communication needs.

Towards Better Communication

Thanks to our experience, attention to detail, and efficient workflow, we delivered fully finished videos and voice notes, as well as high-quality, detailed multilingual transcriptions. In doing so, Untranslate contributed to researching communication challenges in the asylum reception process and ultimately improving information exchange for applicants.