FeBruArY/MArCh The Linguist 17
FEATURES
chronic unemployment, or to escape political
turmoil or targeted persecution.
For many migrants who perform vital
services within the global economy,
translation services are rare or non-existent,
both when they are making the decision to
migrate and later, when work is undertaken.
It is common for migrant labourers to sign
contracts in unfamiliar languages without fully
understanding their contents. Few can rely
on representatives of their own governments
to scrutinise these agreements, and often
private company middlemen get involved
solely for profit and without concern for the
migrants' interests.
Most labour migrants do not speak the
languages of their host countries well
enough to navigate complex legal systems,
1
and there is neither opportunity nor
encouragement for them to learn them, given
the long hours worked and the common
requirement to live isolated from the local
population. Considering the situation in Qatar,
Andrew Gardner et al recommend, as a top
priority, the guarantee of basic translation
services for both the Labour Court and the
Department of Labour relations.
2
Based
on research involving in-depth interviews
with experts, officials and community
representatives, their report notes:
Translation rights are
human rights, argues
Moira Inghilleri as she
highlights the exploitation
of labour migrants
T
he sustained, circular, long-distance
border-crossing character of
contemporary migration is an outcome
of macro-economic and geo-political forces
involving the flow of people and capital
across the globe. Since the late 20th century,
much transnational migration has been
directly tied to the demand for high- and
low-skilled labour in a growing number of
advanced economies. While individuals may
make their own decisions to leave their
families and countries behind to seek out
employment opportunities, many have little
choice. It can be the only way to provide for
their families due to persistent poverty or
The right to speak
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