FIRE+: our recommendations!

After two and a half years of work, the time has come for the FIRE+ project partners to present their main recommendations for strengthening the use of football as a vehicle for social inclusion! www.footballwithrefugees.eu

Recommendation 1

To support inclusion through sport programmes with long-term fundings

Actors on the field regret a severe lack of renewable funding to ensure the sustainability of their inclusion programmes for asylum seekers and refugees. This financial support should enable, among other things, the provision of sports equipment, the remuneration of permanent, qualified staff to manage this type of programme and the provision of parallel activities, such as language courses or homework tutoring.

Recommendation 2

To identify and provide training for «socio-sport mediators» in grassroots football clubs

To jump from one scale to another and to increase the impact of projects, the identification of «socio-sports mediators» is a prerequisite for success. Their role is to act as a link between football clubs and social organisations. By getting a better understanding of the target groups, they facilitate their inclusion in the clubs. These mediators can be identified in voluntary clubs, but it is the responsibility of football stakeholders (at national or local level) to support them by providing dedicated training.

Recommendation 3

To offer specific sessions for refugee and asylum-seeking women and girls

Experiments carried out in the framework of FIRE+ show that it is important to offer women and girls in migration situations a safe space where they can feel confident: sessions away from the outside world, among peers and in small groups, setting up mother-child sessions, childcare services, etc. In these cases, funds must be given to specifically support this type of service.

Recommendation 4

To allow the organisations which manage unaccompanied foreign minors’ guardianship to cover the costs of their sports membership

Access to sport is a right recognised by several international texts. For some people, however, this access is limited due to financial constraints. This is the case for unaccompanied foreign minors and the organisations that manage their guardianship. It is therefore imperative that the public authorities responsible for migration issues support these organisations by enabling them to cover all or part of the costs of access to sport (acquisition of sports equipment and insurance costs).

Recommendation 5

Establish partnerships between reception centres for asylum seekers and grassroots football clubs to discover volunteering

At a time when the crisis in voluntary work in grassroots sports is intensifying, strengthening this commitment can enable the residents of reception centres to occupy their time during the lengthy administrative procedures they endure, and to develop professional or social skills useful for their social and/or professional integration.

Download the recommendations FIRE+

Read the journal :

Sport and Citizenship 56 : Conclusion of the Fire+ project