Sport as a lever for the inclusion of displaced people
⚽ 8.4 million displaced people live in EU member States. Sport must be a tool for their inclusion.
On the field, the evidence is already there. Every day, clubs, coaches and organisations demonstrate that sport rebuilds connections, eases tensions and opens up opportunities for displaced young people.
But these initiatives are all too often fragile, isolated or underfunded. Yet when sporting activities are regular and embedded within a strong local network, the effects on integration are real and measurable.
We believe action is needed on two fronts to harness this potential:
🔹 Ensure sustainable funding opportunities: Clubs cannot build long-term inclusion initiatives on precarious funding.
🔹 Connect reception centres and sports clubs: Whilst such partnerships already exist, they need to be structured and supported at European level.
For each of these areas of action, we have drawn up concrete operational proposals which you can read in our advocacy piece.
As the EU prepares its post-2027 strategic framework on integration, an opportunity is opening up. Sport must feature in this framework, not as an afterthought, but as a recognised tool of public policy.
✍️ Read and share the advocacy piece!
