‘To translate feelings not words’. Humanitarian interpreting: challenging institutional and professional boundaries in interpreting for refugees

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article explores the findings of a qualitative research project that examined the experiences of humanitarian interpreters in four different European countries: the United Kingdom, Greece, Italy and Spain. The article engages with the question of emotional involvement required from humanitarian interpreters, which leads them to challenge institutional and professional boundaries but also to set clear limits to safeguard their wellbeing. Despite differences in understanding the humanitarian interpreter’s role and responsibilities in the four contexts of the study, the findings allow us to argue that humanitarian interpreting should be guided by the principles of trauma informed practice.