How Croatia is integrating refugees through football
Friday, February 14, 2025
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Through its New Neighbours – Integration Through Football project, the Croatian Football Federation (HNS) is providing opportunities for migrants and refugees to find their place in Croatian society.
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Launched in partnership with the Centre for Cultural Dialogue (CCD), a Croatian NGO dedicated to strengthening cultural dialogue among different identity groups, and with financial and logistics support from UEFA, the New Neighbours project has entered its third year and is contributing to efforts to promote better social inclusion.
Every weekend the project gathers adult migrants and refugees for recreational matches in Zagreb, where the football pitch becomes a space for creating new friendships, exchanging experiences and reducing prejudices. Over time the New Neighbours have become an informal team, playing friendlies against local clubs, allowing the refugees to engage with the wider community and build social connections that help them in daily life.
A symbol of hope
For many migrants, football becomes a symbol of hope, an opportunity to escape from problems and trauma, and a place where they are not seen as "others" but as equal participants.
"On the field, it doesn't matter how well you speak Croatian, what your skin colour is or where you come from, but only how well you play football," says Nejra Kadić Meškić, executive director of CCD.
"With integration, a major challenge is the insufficient attention given to the mental health of these individuals, who often have significant trauma," she explains.
"Those who participate in our New Neighbours programme tell us that football is their mental and physical health. On the field they feel at home, free and forget all their problems."
Sheiko Sido is one of those whose integration into Croatian society has greatly benefited from the New Neighbours project. Sido played football in his native Syria and was introduced to the programme by his cultural mediator from the CCD.
"It's an incredible feeling to be on the pitch and playing, especially when we have an audience cheering us on," says Sido, who works as a hairdresser in a salon in Zagreb and counts Manchester City star and Croatian international Joško Gvardiol as one of his clients.
Sido's team-mate Hoger Brindar, also from Syria, works in a well-known furniture retail company in Zagreb and plays football with his colleagues.
"Football connected me with the local community and I've made friends with my co-workers," said Brindar, who started with New Neighbours and has since introduced his daughters to the project through its sessions for children.
Addressing societal challenges
The programme not only promotes intercultural dialogue but also addresses the concrete challenges that migrants face. Although Croatian legislation provides a framework for the integration of refugees, effective implementation is often lacking – particularly when it comes to learning the language and becoming familiar with Croatia's history and customs.
This is where New Neighbours adds great value, as alongside football it offers refugees educational and language courses to help them better integrate into their new environment, supported by funding from UEFA's Football and Refugees Grant Scheme.
The project also involves refugee children and the CCD has organised the "School of Friendship" as an extracurricular programme that helps children with their schoolwork and learning the Croatian language, with a focus on football terminology.
"When we recognise a child's potential and desire to play football, we encourage and support them with equipment and membership fees," adds Meškić. "They don't have their own informal team like adults so we include them in local clubs. These are great experiences and help them connect with the local community."
