Children Who Fled War Find Their Footing on a Football Pitch in Cyprus
Children Who Fled War Find Their Footing on a Football Pitch in Cyprus
Asylum Service of Cyprus | Cyprus Football Association (CFA/KOP) | UNHCR Cyprus
A joint initiative by the Asylum Service of Cyprus, the Cyprus Football Association, and UNHCR, puts integration into action — ahead of a World Refugee Day tournament in June 2026
NICOSIA / KOFINOU, 29 April 2026 — They came from different countries, speaking different languages. Some arrived alone. All of them know about displacement. But yesterday afternoon, on a football pitch in Kofinou, they were just children — running, laughing, and chasing the same ball.
On 28 April 2026, UNHCR Cyprus, the Cyprus Football Association (CFA/KOP), and the Asylum Service of Cyprus jointly organised a football training session at Sotirio Stadium in Kofinou for refugee children and unaccompanied minors living in reception facilities across the island. CFA Experts led the session, offering the children not just football skills, but something equally important: a normal afternoon, the kind that any child deserves.
The event is more than a training session. It is a deliberate step towards integration — the recognition that welcoming refugees and asylum seekers means more than providing shelter and legal protection. It means creating conditions for people, and especially children, to become part of the communities around them. The Asylum Service of Cyprus, as a co-organiser, signals a clear governmental commitment to this goal: that integration is not an afterthought, but a priority.
Yesterday’s session is one of many in a series of preparations ahead of a football tournament to be held in June 2026, a date that this year carries added significance as the world marks 75 years of the 1951 Refugee Convention. In Cyprus, where the memory and experience of displacement are part of the island’s own history, the tournament offers a simple but powerful reminder: solidarity is not an abstract principle. It is something you can practice together, including on a football pitch.
Leslie Esther Vélez, UNHCR Representative in Cyprus, said:
“These children have the same hopes, energy and need to belong as any other child. We are proud to be doing this alongside the Cyprus Football Association and the Asylum Service. Sport has the power to open doors, creating space for respect, friendship and a sense of belonging, all foundational elements to true integration.”
Charalambos Chalarambous, Cyprus Football Association, said:
“After taking on this role at the Cyprus Football Association, this was my first experience being part of such a meaningful initiative, and it left a strong impression on me. Seeing around 60 children from different backgrounds come together through football reminded me of the power sport has to unite, include and inspire. The energy, joy and resilience of the children were truly moving. For me personally, it reinforced the responsibility we have to create safe and welcoming spaces, while showing how football can have a positive impact not only on individuals, but on society as a whole. I am really looking forward to the next one”.
Andreas Georgiades, Asylum Service, said:
“The Asylum Service of Cyprus is committed to the integration of refugees and asylum seekers into Cypriot society, especially unaccompanied children. Initiatives like this remind us that integration happens in everyday moments — on a football pitch, among children who simply want to play. We are proud to have supported this event alongside UNHCR Cyprus and the Cyprus Football Association, and we look forward to the continuation of this journey on World Refugee Day in June. This activity is only the prelude of a more structured, systematic integration strategy that the Deputy Ministry of Migration and International Protection has already laid down and is expected to be enforced the next years.”
The World Refugee Day tournament in June 2026 will see these same children compete on the pitch — a celebration of how far they have come and a reminder of how much they have to offer. Further details will be announced in the coming weeks.
#WorldRefugeeDay #SportForProtection #NoToRacism #RefugeesWelcome #CyprusFootball
