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Since 2014, 2.3 million people have crossed the Mediterranean Sea from North Africa on makeshift boats, arriving on the European shores (UNHCR, 2022). Given its geographical position, Lampedusa has been a focal point of the boat migration during the so-called “refugee crisis”. Indeed, the island hosts a temporary refugee camp.
The study seeks to understand the sporting context of Lampedusa, looking at the inhabitants of the island and the passing asylum-seekers. To do so, data has been collected through semi-structured interviews with local experts, and then inductively analysed through thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006). This study is part of a larger PhD project, investigating “Sport for Development and Peace” efforts in Sicily.
Results have shown that sport in Lampedusa is formally inaccessible for asylum-seekers hosted in the temporary refugee camp. However, through a hole in the fence of the reception centre, asylum-seekers can escape the centre and informally play football with members of the local community. These experiences of play and connectedness are positively valued by the inhabitants of Lampedusa.
Overall, football in the island is one of the activities where the two different social groups can bond over and feel connected, driven by a common sense of belonging to the sport that fosters inclusion. Nonetheless institutional barriers prevent such activities to take place. Recently, barriers have been exacerbated due to the Covid-19 pandemic, inhibiting asylum-seekers to escape from the reception centre and fostering segregation from the rest of the population.
