Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
Mission 89 has a track record of delivering EU-funded projects that produce practical safeguarding tools, educational resources, and international capacity for protecting young migrant athletes. EU project funding enables Mission 89 to translate its advocacy and research into concrete programmes with measurable impact.
SafeSport Pathway is an Erasmus+ Sport initiative led by Mission 89 and Kampos Saint Denis to help protect young athletes from trafficking, abuse, and exploitation in sport. The project focuses on safeguarding education, awareness, and practical tools that promote safer sporting environments for children and young people.
The SINAFE project was Mission 89’s earlier EU-funded initiative focused on the social inclusion and protection of African migrant athletes in Europe. The project produced educational materials and a toolkit addressing the specific vulnerabilities of African migrants navigating European sport systems.
The Social Inclusion of African Athletes in Europe (SINAFE) is an Erasmus+ Sport Programme funded collaborative initiative designed to support African migrant footballers transitioning into European countries. It addresses the social, legal, and economic challenges they face before, during, and after migration. The project produced educational materials and a toolkit addressing the specific vulnerabilities of African migrants navigating European sport systems. The toolkit serves as a practical support mechanism, offering guidance on:
It was developed through stakeholder collaboration including athletes, agents, NGOs, policymakers, and sports organizations.
The toolkit aims to:
Key outcomes of the SINAFE project include:
The project is a collaborative partnership involving multiple stakeholders across Europe, including: Sports organizations (clubs, federations), Migration institutions, NGOs working on sport and migration, Policymakers and legislators, Academics and researchers, and Journalists and media actors.
Istanbul Bilgi University (Project Coordinator)
Mission 89
Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (ISCTE-IUL)
Esprit de Sport International
NGO Atina
University of Belgrade
Kampos Saint-Denis Académie Football Association
Loughborough University
The project also involves country-level partners from: France, Portugal, Serbia, Sweden. Switzerland and Turkey