Abandoned in Istanbul by a man who claimed to be a certified FIFA agent, Stèphane, an Ivorian footballer, arrived in France, where he became a sports educator in the Paris region. Undocumented for a decade but with a permanent work contract, Stéphane now wants to regularize his status. But he can’t get an appointment at the police prefecture office that handles immigration appointments. This is his story:
Former England footballer Gary Lineker has announced that he is ready to welcome asylum seekers in to his home at the invitation of the scheme "Refugees at Home," a refugee sheltering charity that is trying to find hospitality for 2,250 people in the UK.
Germany’s top football team, Bayern Munich, which played and won the Champions League final* against Paris Saint Germain (PSG) on August 23 boasts a very talented player among its ranks -- a player with a unique past. That’s because Alphonso Davies grew up in a refugee camp in Ghana. Today, he uses his fame to come to the aid of others who, like his Liberian parents, were forced to flee their countries too.
Two refugee footballers met for a friendly match last weekend - played on a video game. Alphonso Davies, who plays for FC Bayern-Munich, and Asmir Begovic from AC Milan held the virtual match to raise funds for UNHCR.
After fleeing Afghanistan as a child, Nadia Nadim turned to football while living in a center for asylum seekers in Denmark. In 2009, she became the first foreign-born player to play football in the Danish national team. She believes that sport can help migrant and refugee children better integrate in their new societies.
The soccer team NoWalls wants to fight racism in sports. Its players hail from 14 different countries. Now, Italian sportswear company Umbro has become the sponsor of the team.
When 19-year-old Fatim Jawara embarked on a dangerous journey across the Saharan desert in 2016, her goal was to make it big as a footballer in Europe. But the aspiring athlete from the Gambia never got to follow her dreams: Her life ended when the dinghy she travelled on sank in the Mediterranean Sea. The memory of her lives on in her football team in the Gambia.
A hard-hitting book, “Magic system: African footballers and the modern slave trade” tells the story of the newest type of human trade: that of African footballers who are ready to do anything in the hope of getting to Europe.
A ceremony to mark Catalonia's national day honored the German captain of the rescue ship "Sea-Watch 3," who helped save the lives of 40 refugees. The medal was presented by Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola.
Khalida Popal, player turned team director of the Afghan women's team, says she's worried that some of the men accused of sexually abusing players in Afghanistan will go unpunished. The allegations were denied by the Afghan FA last year.
Refugees finding their feet in a new country face all kinds of challenges. So how to unwind, let off steam and make new friends? In Berlin, women from Albania, Syria, Afghanistan, Somalia and Iran have found an answer in coming together on the football pitch, as DW's Holly Young found out.
Solitude, too much time to kill and a need for money: All these factors make sports bets or gambling tempting for asylum seekers. We investigated the phenomenon in Germany, an Eldorado for slot machines and sports betting shops.