Staff from the NGO Med'EqualiTeam using the Tarjimly app. Photo courtesy of Tarjimly. Used with permission.

More and more people find themselves living in a place that doesn’t speak their language.

According to the UN, there were 304 million international migrants in 2024, equivalent to 3.7% of the planet’s population. Of them, an estimated 43.7 million were refugees. A further 72.1 million people were internally displaced by violence or conflict at the midway point of 2024 – and just because someone hasn’t crossed a border doesn’t mean that they won’t face hurdles to understanding. In some countries, linguistic diversity is so high that it’s unlikely for any two people who meet to share the same mother tongue.

A language barrier can prevent a vulnerable person from accessing critical services like healthcare, resettlement, legal aid and more, unless they receive language support in the form of translation and interpretation. But reliable – and affordable! – translators and interpreters can be in short supply.

Tarjimly is a platform that seeks to answer this need, allowing volunteers around the world to donate their language skills to asylum seekers, refugees and immigrants. It was launched in 2017, as civil war forced millions of Syrians to journey near and far in search of safety.

Given that Lingua is also a volunteer-based translation initiative, we wanted to learn more, so we spoke over email with Tarjimly’s translation team: Yassin Medhouny-Laouina, Tarjimly’s language project and outreach coordinator; and Caroline Munge, Tarjimly’s volunteer network and engagement coordinator.

Lingua: How did Tarjimly come about? How has it evolved since its inception?

Tarjimly translation team: Tarjimly was created in 2017 in response to the Syrian refugee crisis and the wider reality that many displaced people were being excluded from essential services because of language barriers. As immigrants themselves, the founders knew firsthand how language can open or close the door to safety, rights, and essential care.

The idea was simple: build a tool that lets people who need language support connect, right away, with someone who speaks their language and wants to help. From the beginning, Tarjimly has placed humans at the forefront. The goal was never to remove people from the process or rely on machines to replace human interpreters. It was about using technology to make it easier for people to support one another in moments that matter.

Over time, Tarjimly has grown into a platform rooted in language justice. It exists to support and amplify the work of those already serving on the front lines: aid workers, community organisers, health professionals, educators, and others. We are committed to using technology for good, ensuring that language is never a reason someone is left behind, unheard, or alone.

Lingua: Before Tarjimly, what was or is the alternative for asylum seekers, refugees and immigrants who need language services?

Tarjimly translation team: Before platforms like Tarjimly, access to language support was often inconsistent, limited, or completely out of reach. In many cases, asylum seekers and refugees had to rely on overworked caseworkers, costly ad hoc solutions, or even children and family members to interpret sensitive or complex information. Some were simply left to navigate medical, legal, or resettlement systems on their own, without understanding the language being spoken.

Professional interpreters have always played a critical role, but they are not always available or affordable, especially in emergency settings or for less commonly spoken languages. Community members sometimes step in, but that can raise concerns about confidentiality, accuracy, and emotional burden.

In some cases, people turn to tools like Google Translate. While helpful in low-stakes situations, these tools are unreliable in moments that require clarity, trust, and cultural understanding. Many low-resource languages are also not supported at all, leaving entire communities without access to even basic translation.

Tarjimly emerged to offer a different kind of solution. One that is grounded in solidarity, accessibility, and the belief that language should never be a barrier to protection, dignity, or care. It connects people not just through words, but through shared understanding. Every conversation brings with it the cultural context, empathy, and lived experience of a human being who can listen, adapt, and respond. The platform reflects the rich diversity of the communities it serves, offering support in a wide range of languages and dialects. This inclusivity allows people to be heard in the language that feels most natural to them, which is often where real trust and understanding begin.

The Tarjimly app. Photo courtesy of Tarjimly. Used with permission.

Lingua: Why has Tarjimly opted for a volunteer-based model? In an ideal world, would there be a need for volunteers?

Tarjimly translation team: Tarjimly chose a volunteer-based model because it was the most immediate and sustainable way to make language support accessible to those who need it most. Many refugees, asylum seekers, and displaced people cannot afford professional interpretation, and many frontline organisations operate with limited or no budgets for language services. The volunteer model makes it possible for anyone, anywhere, to access help without cost or delay.

This approach also allows Tarjimly to meet a wide range of language needs, including regional dialects and underrepresented languages that are often not available through traditional interpretation services. By relying on a global and diverse volunteer base, Tarjimly can offer support in the languages that truly reflect the people being served, not just the most commonly spoken ones.

At its core, the model reflects a belief in collective responsibility and the idea that language access is a human right. Volunteers on Tarjimly are not just offering a service. They are showing up in moments of vulnerability and need with their time, attention, and cultural understanding. This model allows people to take direct action in support of one another, across borders and identities.

In an ideal world, interpretation would be fully funded and part of every system that serves the public. Until that day comes, Tarjimly offers a simple and human way to help: showing up for someone in their own language, with care, dignity, and respect.

Lingua: What is the motivation of the typical person who volunteers as a translator with Tarjimly?

Tarjimly translation team: Volunteers on Tarjimly come from many different walks of life, and their motivations are as diverse as their backgrounds. Some are members of the diaspora who feel a deep connection to the communities they support. Others are professional interpreters and translators who want to dedicate part of their time to causes they care about. Many are students or polyglots who see language as a tool for change and are eager to apply their skills in real-world situations. Some have experience in humanitarian work, while others carry a strong sense of global responsibility. And among our volunteers are also those who have experienced displacement themselves. People who, after resettling, choose to give back by helping others navigate what they once went through.

Even with their different backgrounds, many Tarjimly volunteers share something in common: a belief that language should never stand in the way of care, dignity or justice. For some, it’s personal, they’ve been through similar experiences themselves. For others, it’s a way to act on their values and offer support in a direct, human way.

Tarjimly also offers something that is often hard to find: an easy and immediate way to help someone, right now, in a way that feels tangible. Volunteers can see the impact of their support in real time. A conversation that might last five minutes can change the course of someone’s day, or even their life. People remember that kind of connection.

Lingua: How do you ensure quality? Especially because some of these situations are quite high stakes.

Tarjimly translation team: After every session, both the person receiving support and the volunteer are prompted to leave a quick rating and feedback. This allows us to identify and respond to issues early, whether it’s a technical problem, a language mismatch, a poor fit, or a quality concern. The rating screen is one of the most immediate ways we receive signals from the community, and a dedicated team reviews flagged sessions to follow up, offer support, and improve the experience when needed.

Volunteers have access to best practices training covering ethics, interpretation techniques, and how to navigate sensitive or high-stakes situations. Our in-app training centre also includes specialised modules, such as HIPAA compliance, Safeguarding, Trauma-Informed Interpretation, and medical interpretation, with more topic-specific trainings being developed. These resources are continuously updated to reflect the evolving needs of the community and the realities of the field.

We also support quality through thoughtful request design. When submitting a request, users can indicate the sensitivity of the session, its urgency, the subject area, and preferences such as requesting a woman interpreter. This information helps us match each request with someone who is not only linguistically capable but also aligned with the context of the conversation.

To further encourage quality and engagement, we have a level system for volunteers. As they complete more sessions, receive positive ratings, and finish training modules, volunteers can earn badges and unlock new opportunities within the platform. It’s a way to recognise their dedication while encouraging continuous growth and accountability.

Photo courtesy of Tarjimly. Used with permission.

Lingua: Does machine translation play a role in the process? To be facetious for a moment, can’t you just plug the people who need language support into an AI tool and everything’s solved?

Tarjimly translation team: Machine translation has improved significantly and can be useful in certain low-stakes, written contexts. At Tarjimly, we’ve designed our tools to acknowledge those strengths while staying true to our core belief: that human connection is essential to meaningful and accurate communication.

We’ve integrated AI in a way that keeps the human in the loop, never on the sidelines. For example, our FirstPass feature allows volunteer translators to generate an AI-assisted draft of a translation. But they are expected to review, adapt, and finalise it based on their own understanding, cultural insight, and fluency. If they attempt to submit the AI-generated version without any edits, the app will notify and prompt them to reflect before sending. This is not about policing, it’s about encouraging responsibility and care.

Tarjimly was not built to replace humans with technology. It was built to empower humans through technology. In high-stakes moments, when someone is seeking asylum, medical attention, or safety for their family, what matters is not just the words but the attention, and empathy of the person interpreting them. That’s what machines still can’t offer, and that’s why the human remains at the centre of our services.

Lingua: When it comes to a translator’s personal practice, what does a healthy relationship with machine translation tools look like, in your opinion?

Tarjimly translation team: A healthy relationship with machine translation begins with understanding its role as a tool, not a substitute. It can be useful for getting a first draft, checking terminology, or working through repetitive content but it should never replace human judgment, especially in contexts where meaning, tone, and sensitivity matter.

At Tarjimly, we encourage volunteers to use tools like our FirstPass feature as a support, not a shortcut. Translators who are thoughtful in their practice typically use machine translation to save time, then take the crucial step of reviewing, adapting, and rewriting to make sure the message is accurate, complete, and culturally appropriate. That step is where the real skill lies.

A healthy practice also means knowing when not to rely on machine translation at all. In real-time interpretation, trauma-informed sessions, or conversations involving ambiguity or emotion, human presence and intuition are essential. Machines don’t know when to pause, clarify, or pick up on what isn’t being said.

Used wisely, machine translation can enhance the translator’s work, but it should never replace their attention, responsibility, or connection to the people they’re helping.

Lingua: Has there been growing demand or falling demand for Tarjimly? And what does that say about the state of the world?

Tarjimly translation team: The demand for Tarjimly has continued to grow. With every new conflict, crisis, or displacement, from Afghanistan to Ukraine, Sudan to Gaza, there’s been a sharp rise in the need for accessible and immediate language support. Beyond crisis zones, the demand also reflects ongoing structural gaps in language access within healthcare, education, legal services, and humanitarian response.

What this tells us is that language remains a persistent barrier for millions of people, and that systems often aren’t equipped to meet the scale and diversity of those needs. It also shows that global displacement is not slowing down, and that access to critical services still depends too often on whether someone speaks the “right” language.

But this growing demand also reveals something hopeful. More individuals, organisations, and volunteers are recognising the importance of language access and are actively seeking ways to make it happen. It shows there’s a willingness to act, to bridge gaps, even when the systems aren’t perfect. Tarjimly exists in that space: not as a solution to every problem, but as a response grounded in human connection and solidarity.