Specifics of Communication With Migrants in the Context of the War in Ukraine

In Slovakia, the war in Ukraine has caused an unprecedented increase in the number of migrants which has been accompanied by a huge increase in the need for public service interpreters. As Slovakia had long been a country with one of the lowest numbers of migrants in Europe, an immediate and comprehensive response to the situation was required, both in terms of the deployment of interpreters in practice, but also in terms of their training. This contribution describes this response from the perspectives of (i) the ad hoc interpreters, (ii) the institutions and organisations providing migration and integration services in Slovakia, and (iii) academic institutions with a focus on the activities of the Department of Translation Studies at the Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra.