In Barberà del Vallès, cases like that of Aya, 13 years old, and her brother Yassine, 16, illustrate this reality. Both, originally from Nador, Morocco, arrived three years ago and have had to quickly learn Catalan to help their parents, who have a precarious knowledge of Spanish. This situation leads them to accompany their parents to the City Council, to the doctor, or to institute tutorials, assuming a role that would not correspond to their age.

Aya, who wants to be a doctor, expresses her fear of making mistakes on important issues, especially in the healthcare field. The El Mesaoudi siblings, who also speak Spanish, Arabic, Rifian, and a little French, learned Catalan at the institute and at the Casal de Cultura de Barberà del Vallès, considering it a necessary language for their future.

Another example is that of the siblings Rui and Hang, of Chinese origin and born in Albacete, who have also resided in Barberà del Vallès since 2015. Rui, 16 years old, is responsible for translating for his parents, who run a bazaar and do not master the language. He recalls with stress having had to translate during a medical emergency for his grandfather, an experience that overwhelmed him due to the complexity of medical jargon.

This phenomenon, little visible, is frequent in services such as healthcare, education, and social services. Professionals such as family doctor Álvaro Núñez Fauste, from the CAP de Banyoles, or doctor Sira Casablancas, from the CAP Casanovas in Barcelona, highlight the difficulties that arise when minors have to translate sensitive medical information. Professor Blanca Pi, from Barberà del Vallès, has also had to resort to students as translators in interviews with families, generating nervousness and great responsibility.

The Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), through the MIRAS research group, has studied this role of children as linguistic intermediaries. The group's director, Marta Arumí, professor of Translation and Interpretation, points out that young people begin translating from the age of eight or nine, mainly in the healthcare field, where there is a lack of professionals. Unlike the judicial sector, where interpretation is regulated and mandatory, this regulation does not exist in other areas.

The psychological impact of this responsibility on the maturational process and academic performance of minors is a concern. Xifré Ramos, a member of the Working Group on Migratory Movements, Refuge, Asylum and Intercultural Relations of the Official College of Psychology of Catalonia, warns that this practice can hinder children's development if inappropriate information is received continuously. Although it can strengthen bonds, treating a child as an adult is a mistake, and he deems it unacceptable for a law enforcement officer to accept a minor as a mediator in an eviction, a situation that could lead to long-term mental health problems.