ERASMUS+ Integration of Refugees Through Sport (IRTS)

Project Description

“Integration of Refugees through Sport” (IRTS) is a community of stakeholders that has developed significantly over the last ten years. Sport and physical activities have already become an integral part of supporting and integrating refugees, and the number of initiatives, methods and stakeholders now involved in this field is growing steadily. The Erasmus+ project “Convening Global Integration of Refugees Through Sport Sector” is a further initiative addressing the existing challenges of integrating refugee children and adults. The project aims to provide scientific evidence, raise awareness of this issue and strengthen the various stakeholders in the sector.

The IRTS project, based in Europe, brings together a wide range of partners and stakeholders from around the world. These include institutions, funding bodies, global networks, humanitarian organisations and sports organisations. Together, they form a comprehensive project consortium whose members complement one another in their various roles and represent global interests.

The aim of the project is to bring the global IRTS community together and to highlight its insights, credibility and voice. The project’s primary target group is the refugees themselves, in all their diversity. It also includes their fellow citizens in host communities (provided they do not live in refugee camps), who will benefit from improved integration efforts through greater community cohesion. However, this target group is only reached to a limited extent by the project.

The immediate target groups include:

organisations carrying out IRTS activities on the ground (sport, humanitarian, social and local authorities)
International networks of IRTS and civil society organisations
Key decision-makers and funders, including the media
The general public at European and international level

The IRTS project offers a unique opportunity to implement global, EU-funded projects of this scale, thereby facilitating mutual learning, greater inspiration and the empowerment of stakeholders. In this way, the project will promote the IRTS agenda worldwide whilst learning from the valuable experiences of other parts of the world.