Interpreting in Asylum Procedures: Dialogist Interpretation

by Hassan Mizori

Overview

This book introduces dialogist interpretation as an innovative approach within interpreting studies, offering a critical examination of interpreter-mediated asylum encounters. Based on a case study of a legal consultation in the Netherlands, the book reveals how internal dialogues, linguistic assumptions, institutional constraints and systemic biases influence credibility assessments and shape asylum narratives. Drawing on the author’s experience as a researcher, interpreter and former asylum seeker, this study examines the power dynamics between interpreters, legal professionals, asylum seekers and the institutional structures governing legal procedures. Through detailed textual analysis and reflective interviews, it demonstrates the active role interpreters play and offers a new paradigm for understanding and improving asylum procedures. Challenging dominant narratives and calling for systemic reform, this book offers practical recommendations for interpreters, educators, legal professionals and policymakers as well as essential insights for scholars in interpreting studies, law and communication.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781836681335
Publisher:	Multilingual Matters Ltd.
Publication date:	09/16/2025
Series:	Translation, Interpreting and Social Justice in a Globalised World , #4
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	250
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Hassan Mizori is a Visiting Scholar at the University of Leeds, UK. With over 20 years of experience as an interpreter and linguist, he has taught translation at the University of Leeds and the University of Manchester and co-edited both the Oxford Arabic Dictionary and the Nederlands-Arabisch Dictionary (published by Radboud University Nijmegen). His research focuses on interpreter-mediated communication in asylum settings, particularly through dialogist interpretation. Adopting a multidimensional and interdisciplinary approach, he critically examines challenges in asylum procedures and explores pathways for reform.

Table of Contents

A Note to the Reader

Chapter 1. Asylum – Historical Contexts and Contemporary Challenges

Chapter 2. Navigating the Nexus: Language, Law and Politics in Asylum Procedures

Chapter 3. The Case Study: Lost in Translation – Exploring Sense-Making in Interpreter-Mediated Encounters

Chapter 4. Theoretical Foundations: Enhancing Understanding of Communication Practices in the Asylum Procedure

Chapter 5. Enhancing Equity in Asylum Procedures: The Dual Role of Retrospective Interviews in Research and Practice

Chapter 6. Asylum Interviews and Hearings: The Problem of Information Loss in Asylum Procedures and How to Address It

References

Editorial Reviews

This book critically examines the role of interpreters in asylum processes. Mizori’s work underscores the complexities of communication in these high-stakes settings and provides thought-provoking insights for scholars, practitioners, and policymakers committed to addressing linguistic inequalities and fostering clearer understanding in asylum procedures.

Marie Jacobs

This book has an inspiring and promising message for everyone involved in communicatively complex encounters like interpreter-mediated asylum interviews. Put simply: case workers, lawyers, interpreters and other professionals can improve their performance by learning more about the dialogic, collaborative, and exchange-focused nature of human sense making.

Cecilia Wadensjö

Hassan Mizori’s Interpreting in Asylum Procedures: Dialogist Interpretation is a groundbreaking exploration of communication in high-stakes legal contexts. Through an innovative application of dialogism, Mizori illuminates the often-overlooked complexities of interpreter-mediated encounters, offering profound insights that challenge conventional practices and advocate for more just and effective asylum procedures.

Fabrizio Gallai