The number of people who ran away from war, persecution and conflicts exceeded 70 million in 2018, the highest level that UNHCR has recorded in its almost 70 years of history. Boys and girls are more frequent. Sport is an effective tool to help in the processes of integration of refugees and Fútbol Más is working to make it possible. Here we present 8 data of interest within the framework of the International Refugee Day.

1) Boys and girls, big affected

In 2018, one of every two refugees was a boy or girl. Many of them (111,000) were alone or without their families.

2) Less than five years

Uganda, for example, has 2,800 children under the age of five without their families.

3) In cities and suburbs

More and more refugees are living in cities (61%), instead of rural areas or refugee camps.

4) Developed countries versus developing countries

High-income countries receive an average of 2.7 refugees per thousand inhabitants; the countries of medium or low income, a 5.8; and the poorest countries in the world 

Welcome one third of all the refugees in the world.

5) Where do the refugees live?

About 80% of refugees live in countries neighboring their countries of origin.

6) Time they remain outside of their country

Nearly 4 out of every 5 refugees have remained in displacement for at least five years. One in five in the state of displacement for at least 20 years.

7) Venezuela, one of the most affected

In 2018, the largest number of new asylum applications corresponded to Venezuelans (341,800).

8) Probability of being a refugee

The proportion of people in the world who are refugees, job seekers or internally displaced persons rose in 2018 to 1 in 108 people. Ten years ago, the proportion was 1 in 160

The case of Fútbol Más France

Fútbol Más Foundation, adapting itself to the different contexts in the countries where it is located, began working three years ago in France, in the Ivry Sur-Seine migrant center of Emmaus Solidarité, a space where women, men and children coexist. Girls from different countries of Africa, who seek to improve their living conditions. “A large number of people we work with are refugees, they have fled the war or because of political or religious situations, others are migrants seeking a better quality of life,” says Agustín Giménez, executive director of Fútbol Más Francia.

Among those who live in this center, more than 400 people have requested asylum due to various reasons. While waiting for the answer to this type of request, Fútbol Más works with them, using sports as a tool for integration and non-formal education, with which families generate bonding processes and the development of skills that will serve them later in life in French society.

“Our great challenge is how we are making the slogan that the ball has no borders. We are convinced that football, under the model of sport for development, is an effective tool for peace. Today, through the socio-sports workshops, we are making sure that refugees have a positive reinforcement space. Many of them come from very hard realities and what we want is to give them a space of trust”. says Giménez.

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