From Displacement to Belonging: Sport as an Agent of Refugee Integration

• Autor(a) principal: Machado, Natacha Jesus
• Data de Publicação: 2023
• Tipo de documento: Dissertação
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
• Texto Completo: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.22/24570
• topic: Refugees; Refugee youth; Integration; Inclusion; Sport; Refugiados; Jovens refugiados; Integração; Inclusão; Desporto; Gestão

The significant surge in the refugee population over the past decade has elevated the issue of their integration into host societies to a global scale. This phenomenon offers national governments and organisations with a unique opportunity to harness the power of a omnipresent aspect of everyday life – sport – to facilitate the integration of refugees, with a particular focus on the younger demographic, into their new societies. In recent years, sport has emerged as an exceptionally effective, yet often underutilized, means of fostering the integration of refugees into host societies. Sports have the unique capacity to act as a catalyst for building bridges between communities, fostering intercultural dialogue, and cultivating a profound sense of belonging amongst refugees. Whilst sport alone cannot address all the challenges faced during the refugees’ migration journey, it can be an instrumental tool in ensuring the proper integration of these individuals into the local communities. The universal language of sport has the remarkable ability to bring and unite people from different backgrounds together, and, when coupled with other cultural and social activities, may play a pivotal role in this integration process. Sport clubs and project developers worldwide have a special opportunity to support this vulnerable group of people by providing not only a sense of normalcy in their lives but also a smoother transition into their new societies. Consequently, there is an urgent need for continued investment in sports-based integration projects, which have consistently demonstrated notably positive outcomes in addressing the complexities of refugee integration. This dissertation aims to provide insights, recommendations, and a comprehensive outlook on the diverse challenges faced by refugees throughout their migration journey and the possibilities for creating inclusive and harmonious societies. It underscores the importance of understanding the multifaceted dimensions of the Global Refugee Crisis, the complexities of integration, and the transformative potential of sports in shaping a more inclusive future.