Despite widespread violence along the migration routes to Europe, migrant and refugee survivors of violence still face significant obstacles in accessing support services once in Europe. This is due to poor referral networks, lack of information, and complicated systems of care. The limited number of linguistic and cultural mediators (LCM) and interpreters trained in how to support survivors is also a key barrier. LCMs provide interpretation but also share information, offer support, and help refugees and migrants connect to services. That is why the Women’s Refugee Commission (WRC) and UNICEF developed this training curriculum, which aims to equip LCMs with the foundational knowledge they need to support survivors according to their role. In this episode, mediators and experts explain more about the role of LCMs and how the curriculum has helped to provide better support to survivors.

Related resources:

• Training Curriculum
• Supporting survivors of violence: Helping cultural mediators to respond to refugees and migrants who have experienced violence
• Overview of the sub-regional program in Europe ‘Action Against Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Affecting Refugee and Migrant Women and Children in Greece, Italy, Serbia and Bulgaria’ implemented with the generous contribution from the Government of the United States