“Football is an immense, indescribable love for me”, says Naser, who fled his home country, Syria, searching for a place where he could live safely and play football. © UNHCR/Socrates Baltagiannis
The Municipal Stadium of Galatsi buzzes with the energetic voices of young boys training with the “Niki Galatsiou” football team. Among them is Naser, a forward who counterattacks, dribbles past defenders and scores.
“Scoring on the field makes me feel really good. Football is an immense, indescribable love for me”, says Naser, who found his place on the team through a support programme for young adult refugees run by NGO METAdrasi with the support of UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency.
Naser began his football journey with the youth team of a major football club in Aleppo, in his home country, Syria. He aspired to become great, like Lionel Messi and Ronaldinho, two athletes he admires. However, his dreams were shattered by the war, like for many of his young compatriots. Just before turning 18, Naser left Syria alone. His arduous and long journey led him to Iraq, then to Türkiye and eventually to Kos.
“Fleeing my country was a difficult decision, but I wanted to find a peaceful place, where I could live safely and play football”, Naser recalls.
He knew nothing about Greece, except for the country’s big football teams. After arriving in Athens as a young adult, Naser had nowhere to stay. So, he decided to look for help and eventually came in contact with METAdrasi a non-governmental organization offering assistance to young refugees.
From the day they come of age, unaccompanied children in Greece face numerous challenges in continuing their education as needed, and in finding shelter and a job, in order to integrate into the country.
“The circumstances change for unaccompanied minors once they turn 18 because they lose access to the benefits they previously had as unaccompanied children. Yet, their potential to becoming self-reliant and active contributors to society is great”, Dora Tsovili, from UNHCR’s Child Protection Unit explains.
The Greek state has introduced new legislation granting a ten-year residence permit to former unaccompanied minors who have completed three years of secondary education in the country.
“This legal change is significant, as it alleviates the uncertainty that many unaccompanied children and young adults feel about their future. We need to build on this, as it’s equally crucial now to address the needs of these young individuals holistically”, Tsovili notes.
METAdrasi, in collaboration with UNHCR, implement the “Activity 18+” programme aiming at creating a safe environment for unaccompanied boys and girls who are about to become adults giving emphasis on strengthening their independence and smooth integration into Greek society. Through the “Activity 18+”, young refugees are not only provided with safe accommodation but also with legal assistance, interpretation and psychosocial support. Further, they learn Greek and are supported in their search for employment, further studies and achieving their goals.
Naser lives with other three roommates in a ground floor apartment run by the programme in the centre of Athens. Two objects have a special place in his own room and show his love for football: a pair of yellow football shoes and a white ball. However, his favourite room is the kitchen, where he spends a lot of time cooking.
“Living in an apartment makes me feel more independent. It also helps me get to know the city better”, Naser describes.
Christianna Papadopoulou, a social worker with METAdrasi, remembers the first time she met Naser, when he kept repeating the word “football”, despite not knowing any other Greek or English words. She immediately recognized his passion for football and arranged for him to join the “Niki Galatsiou” team, which covered his registration and membership fees, and provided the necessary athletic gear.
Christianna describes how much progress Naser has made since joining the “Activity 18+”. “He was a scared, traumatized child, living on the streets. Now, he faces all difficulties with optimism”.
Naser cleans carefully a pair of yellow football shoes that decorate his room © UNHCR/Socrates Baltagiannis
Naser feels that he has found a family among his teammates and he diligently studies Greek to communicate with his teammates. © UNHCR/Socrates Baltagiannis
Naser fled from Syria to Greece as an unaccompanied child and today he is supported through a programme for young adult refugees (18+) run by NGO METAdrasi with the support of UNHCR. © UNHCR/Socrates Baltagiannis
Today, 20-year-old Naser doesn’t miss a single training session, even though they are organized in the evening and last until almost midnight. He works hard to improve his technique. The friendly atmosphere is evident among the players, who joke with each other and try to teach him Greek words. “Pasa” (pass), “bravo” (well done), “den pirazi” (it doesn’t matter), are some of the phrases he keeps repeating himself.
The team’s coach, Giorgos Koufopoulos, explains how the team embraces refugees and that the young team members feel at ease with each other regardless of their origin. “Football unites nations and people. We don’t see refugees as different. All our young players are equal members of the team”, he says.
Naser expresses a deep sense of belonging, considering the social workers that support him, his roommates and teammates as his family in the country. In addition to training, he diligently studies Greek to communicate with his teammates and gradually become independent.
“Football teaches you a lot. It’s about well-being, health, and ethics. When you train with a team, you adopt their ethics and team spirit. Football encompasses life”, Naser says, dreaming of the day he will be able to play his favorite sport professionally.
*UNHCR supports efforts of integrating young refugees into the Greek society through holistic programmes of supported independent living, in collaboration with partners such as METAdrasi and the International Rescue Committee. In addition, the organization is working to transform these programmes into social housing initiatives for vulnerable populations, including unaccompanied refugee children who reach adulthood, in collaboration with local authorities.
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