Refugees and football in the global and middle east contexts

Abstract

This chapter explores the nexus between football and forced displacement in the global and Middle East context. It examines the meaning of sport and football for refugees in the global context, and positions forced displacement and refugee resettlement within the global "football for development" movement. I critically examine the instrumentalization of sport for development purposes. The dearth of academic research on refugees and football in the Middle East and some of the challenges and shortcomings of existing international research are highlighted. Drawing on empirical data from sport/football programs that work with refugees, I reflect on how the identified global trends and issues apply to the Middle East context, with a particular focus on program objectives, the types of actors involved, and the extent to which football is deployed as a means for progressing development objectives. I conclude by formulating some directions for future research on football and refugees in the Middle East.