In this section, we will see how important languages are from the very first context between migrants, refugees and asylum seekers, and the receiving societies. Mobility rights into and within countries in the European Union and the Schengen area are different for EU nationals and for nationals of her countries and are regulated by international legal frameworks. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Organization for Migration call for a common approach to European migration and asylum policy. But in practice, although the countries of the Schengen area have a common visa policy, many traits and legislations operate when migrants and refugees arrive into a European country. And they may vary according to bilateral agreements between countries of origin and countries of destination or arrival. All these regulations established, or constrain, rights to enter, stay, apply transit, apply for resident and work permit, or for refugee and asylum. From the very first, science communication skills are crucial. Unfortunately, news on arrivals in the European Union are often less close to Fox vent to biased representations. Some tabloids and far right political organizations feed a representation of immigrants and refugees using words such as flood, avalanche, tide or tsunami to obscure people rights to move away from poverty or abuse or any other unfair circumstances. These discourses portray people running away from their homes and countries as undeserving newcomers or even as possible criminal offenders. The truth is that all the countries have their reception systems and languages are key in them to serve many purposes such as understanding security procedures, providing basic information on placement arrangement, and very importantly, to create trust and make people feel welcome. In some, to be able to understand and exercise their rights in the face of harsh bureaucratic processes, that might end up with deportation, or being temporarily transferred to internment centers. In such situations languages are even more important. Language support and language classes are provided at diverse stages in each country section system according to the migration, and integration policies, their geopolitical situations and the political line of their government so they may change. The four countries included in the alpha project represent this diversity well. On the one hand, there is a situation of Spain and Italy in Southern Europe with direct line and see external borders, which are both countries of transit and destination. In contrast, Germany, in the middle of Europe, surrounded by other EU countries and usually a much desired country of destination. And finally, the situation of Poland also with direct external borders in the Northeast of the European Union. In Italy, for example, formerly provided Italian basic courses at earlier stages of the reception process are currently only available from the moment in which migrants and refugees are formally admitted to this pear system. In Poland, for example, the situation is quite similar. Language courses are formally provided only after application by refugees and asylum seekers have been admitted. In the case of Spain and Germany, and regardless of the legal situation in the country, there are also a variety of language courses for migrants and refugees. Usually provided by third sector companies, humanitarian organizations and local authorities, mostly voluntary and free of charge. Now, we will like to draw your attention to a series of actual situations experienced by migrants and refugees in dealing with authorities and services and the role that languages play in them. Example one is a field report from the Melilla Beni Enzar border in Northern Africa. Then Melilla Beni Enzar border is among the most unequal borders in the world. It is a complex of security and highly controlled passage but it is also a porous border due to the daily passage of Moroccan workers to Melilla and Spanish workers and tourists to Morocco. Many first encounters with police, immigration authorities and NGOs, volunteers take place there. In the Melilla border, we observed the counseling and welcoming facilities of NGOs with resources and facilities to serve many families with children. Who arrived in search of shelter and protection? The team in charge has multilingual staff and also multilingual resources, for example, bilingual children's books. Example two is a field report from an interview in a reception center that is provided by the British Journal, The Independent. Migrants and asylum seekers may have important reasons to reject spontaneous interpreters from the same origins in interviews with the authorities, however, well meaning they may be. And on the other hand, let's not forget that some officers interviewing styles are not always welcoming and can increase insecurity and distress of those who are interviewed. Unfortunately, this is not uncommon. As I said, we have this piece of news from the independent British newspaper from June 2020. In the words of an asylum seeker, we see he was treated like a criminal. He was made to feel like a criminal during the Home Office questioning. He said, it wasn't an interview, it was an interrogation. He had been tortured in his home country for attending anti-government protests. He had been nervous before arriving at the interview and discovered the process was even more nerve racking that he had heard. The Home Office caseworker asked him more than 300 question over four hours. And he recalls that he wasn't offered any water and it was cold. He was subsequently refused asylum and is now awaiting for the session and his appeal. Example three is a failed report from an ordinary paperwork procedure in a police station. A migrant father from a West African country was trained to understand how to apply for passports for his children to travel for a visit to their country of origin. The applicant explained himself well, using Spanish, some French and some English to provide additional information in case the apparent communication problem was due to cease limitation trying to make himself understood. But the police officer was only using specialized legal terms and expressions in her answers. Probably words that were also unknown for many nationals, and she repeated exactly the same questions and sentences in an increasingly hostile tone while looking down at the documents handed over by the father. No interpreter was cold and no effort was made to improve the response. To the growingly helpless father, he ended up passed out and frustrated and finally left. Example four is a field report from the first encounter with language and literacy syllabuses. One of the key issues that changes with obtaining legal state permit in the host country is the possibility of regular access to language courses. For Sameera, attending a language lessons is also an everyday opportunity to detach herself for a while from the traumatic events that she left behind. Little by little, she enjoys using the future verbal tense in German and comes back with new questions. But while Sameera is not illiterate, or alpha is a method for learning the host languages, that allows for the incorporation of learners without previous literacy in their first languages. This approach has a practical orientation, which prioritizes communication skills and also has the advantage of making course attendance a more pleasant experience. Many of the teachers show a high commitment with the integration of migrants and refugees in their home countries, even though this can never replace their training. So module two will develop all these issues from here but in the meanwhile, could you think of personal experiences like those in the examples we have provided from the fieldwork presented earlier? While being outside the EU for, example, what do they have in common? In what do they differ? Do you remember how you felt? [SOUND]
