By Sarah-Claire Jordan
We have heard a lot from different experts about how the refugee crisis is affecting the world economically, culturally, linguistically, and more. The linguistic issues discussed tend to focus more on the language barrier between refugees and the countries they travel through and end up in. There are a number of organizations out there working directly with refugees, trying to provide information for them in their native languages, but we also have to remember that we are in a completely different era from the last time we had a crisis of this magnitude, and more can be done.
This is where smartphones come into the picture, as many refugees did have the means to buy them in their home countries and also realized their importance when the time came to leave and seek refuge elsewhere. Even if there is no wi-fi or data to be used in an area, there might be enough coverage to at least contact family members via SMS and try to coordinate meetings and other travel essentials. When a smartphone is no longer useful even for SMS and calls, many have GPS and are extremely helpful for finding ways to meeting points, refugee camps, and more, so it is more than just mobile translations.
Of all of the different mobile apps and tools that refugees have access to with their smartphones, WhatsApp and Facebook seemed to be the most useful according to refugees who were interviewed by BBC Media. Groups on both apps can be created and used to share information in native languages among refugees who can’t get a hold of any information in their language anywhere else. In general, the kinds of information that refugees need can be divided into three groups: next steps, status/rights, and health/sanitation. The issue is, there isn’t enough of this information designed to be accessed via mobile devices that is in the right language for refugees.
So, the main issues regarding refugees using smartphones are access to information on a mobile platform, and translation of this information. If that were achieved, not only would refugees get the information they need during a critical time, but they would also be able to feel more connected and a bit less like refugees. Lack of translated information in general has led to a number of issues already, such as trust issues between relief organizations and refugees, organizations not being able to help much without translated information, and even resentment among the different refugee groups due to certain languages being “favored” over others in translated materials.
When asked what they thought should be done to help remedy these issues, most refugees agreed on a few possible solutions. The first would be to make sure every language spoken by refugees is treated equally, and that all information be provided in all languages. Besides that, a great need for more interpreters present at camps and other sites was expressed, as not all refugees are literate and would need to hear information rather than read it. Of course, mobile translation initiatives are important as well. If relief organizations could try to work harder towards these goals, being a refugee would be a lot less scary.