To Understand Is To Be Understood: Communication and Language Rights in Hearings for International Protection

On November 27, 2026, from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.,Room 154 (IULM 1) will host the conference “To Understand Is to Be Understood: Communication, Language Rights, and Decisions in Hearings for International Protection.” The event, which is open to the public and can also be accessed online via the Microsoft Teams platform, is organized as part of the initiatives of the Department of Humanities’ Fund for the Promotion of Knowledge.

Topic and Objectives

In asylum procedures, the quality of communication between applicants, interpreters, and officials is a decisive and sensitive issue. The recent implementation of the European Pact on Migration and Asylum (Decree-Law 100/2026) and accelerated border procedures pose new organizational and legal challenges for safeguarding the right to a defense and the right to information.

At the same time, the debate over the introduction of Artificial Intelligence technologies (such as ASR, speech-to-text, and machine translation) in mediation services highlights both potential advantages in terms of speed and critical issues related to interpretation errors, bias, and the handling of emotional and institutional contexts. The event underscores the importance of professional linguistic-cultural mediation as an irreplaceable safeguard of fairness and accuracy.

The Event

Drawing on data from the ICAHI research project (Intercultural and Interlinguistic Communication in Asylum Hearings in Italy), the meeting will offer a multidisciplinary reflection—combining studies in interpreting, data science, history, and anthropology—and a roundtable discussion with industry experts, institutional representatives, and representatives from professional associations.

The initiative aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN 2030 Agenda, particularly regarding the reduction of inequalities (SDG 10) and the promotion of inclusive institutions (SDG 16), and is sponsored by AssITIG (Italian Association of Judicial Translators and Interpreters). A reception for participants will follow the event.

Understanding Means Being Understood: Communication, Language Rights, and Decision-Making in Hearings for International Protection

• Date and time: November 27, 2026, 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
• Location: Room 154 (IULM Building 1) and streamed online via Microsoft Teams at this link
• Organizing Committee: Dr. Fabrizio Gallai, Dr. Alessia Forciniti, Dr. Enrico Palumbo, Dr. Giacomo Pozzi

Download the conference programme here