SINAFE

SINAFE — Social Inclusion of African Migrant Athletes in Europe (2021)

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.

Project Description

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:

  • Rights and legal procedures
  • Migration and employment systems
  • Risks such as exploitation, trafficking, and discrimination
  • Social integration into host countries

It was developed through stakeholder collaboration including athletes, agents, NGOs, policymakers, and sports organizations.

Project Objectives

The toolkit aims to:

  • Enhance social inclusion of African migrant athletes in Europe
  • Provide accessible information on legal rights, migration processes, and employment structures
  • Reduce vulnerability to exploitation and trafficking by increasing awareness
  • Support integration into host societies through education, language, and cultural guidance
  • Strengthen support mechanisms across stakeholders (clubs, federations, NGOs, policymakers)
  • Bridge knowledge gaps that hinder athletes’ ability to navigate European systems

Project Outcomes

Key outcomes of the SINAFE project include:

  • A comprehensive toolkit covering legal frameworks, social inclusion strategies, and policy recommendations
  • Field research insights based on interviews across six European countries
  • Identification of:
    • Migration drivers
    • Support mechanisms
    • Key challenges (e.g., legal barriers, language, discrimination, exploitation)
  • Support integration into host societies through education, language, and cultural guidance
  • Strengthen support mechanisms across stakeholders (clubs, federations, NGOs, policymakers)
  • Bridge knowledge gaps that hinder athletes’ ability to navigate European systems

Partner Information

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.

SINAFE Project Partners

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