Migration and translation technologies

This chapter looks at the use of translation technologies in the context of migration. It focuses on machine translation but also considers other translation technologies, and other applications of natural language processing and artificial intelligence. The chapter begins with a review of published research intersecting translation technologies and migration. It suggests that the outward turn in translation technology might be underway, and that some translation technologies are increasingly used in migrant settings. However, it also shows that the potential of this research topic remains largely untapped. Dedicated studies are rare, follow mostly one research approach and look at a narrow array of technologies and geographic settings. To unpack this potential, the chapter then delves into one migration situation that reveals the complexities of using translation technologies in public health communication with migrant communities. The chapter shows that although translation technologies play an important role in breaking language barriers among migrant and host communities, if employed uncritically, they might also put at risk migrants’ basic human rights, thereby exacerbating inequalities that exist in today’s multilingual societies. The chapter concludes by identifying areas for further inquiry, whose findings may in turn be relevant to policymakers and organisations working with migrants.