Football as a tool to support refugees: results from a scoping review; with critical commentary from football in the community charities

In the context of global forced migration, researchers, practitioners and policy makers are increasingly considering and turning to sport, including football, as a resource to support refugees and those with refugee-like experiences. This scoping review examines available research on the role of football programmes implemented with refugees internationally. It also critically reviews the scientific literature, drawing on insights from several decades’ worth of combined experience from practitioners working in UK-based football in the community charities. Overall, the review suggests that football has the potential to support belonging, social connection, identity (re)construction, and wellbeing. However, its impact depends on adequate programme design, resourcing, and attention to wider structural conditions. The review also highlights that football is not a standalone solution, as it cannot address all barriers to social participation and integration, although the benefits it generates may, in some cases, translate into gains in broader areas of refugees’ lives.