Sport 4 Support

Forced displacement remains one of the greatest global challenges of our time. Many refugees arriving in Switzerland have experienced severe trauma in their countries of origin and during their journey. While waiting for a decision on their asylum application, they often face inactivity, social isolation, and uncertainty in asylum centres. The combination of past traumatic experiences and challenging living conditions places a considerable strain on psychosocial wellbeing.

Despite these challenges, access to psychosocial support for asylum seekers in Switzerland remains limited. At the same time, the positive effects of sport and physical activity on psychosocial health are well documented. Sport therefore offers an effective, low-cost, and accessible way to reduce stress, strengthen resilience, and promote social participation.

Regular sports and play activities

Sport 4 Support addresses this important gap by establishing regular, trauma-sensitive sport and play activities in asylum centres and integrating them into everyday life. The aim is to counteract the high psychosocial burden and limited support available to refugees living in Swiss asylum accommodation.

At the heart of the project is a Train-the-Trainers (ToT) approach. Staff members from asylum centres are recruited and trained to independently deliver trauma-sensitive sport and play activities for refugees. This enables regular sports programmes to be integrated into the daily routine of the centres. Moreover, sports professionals provide additional sport- and play-based activities on a regular basis, with a particular focus on promoting life skills such as self-efficacy, teamwork, fairness, and resilience. These competencies further contribute to strengthening the psychosocial well-being of refugees.

Collaboration with the University Of Basel

Together with the Department of Sport, Exercise and Health (DSBG) at the University of Basel, the Swiss Academy for Development (SA4D) is developing and evaluating an approach that combines scientific evidence with extensive practical experience. The project builds on an existing pilot study conducted by the University of Basel and is accompanied by ongoing scientific evaluation.

The University of Basel contributes its academic expertise in the fields of sport, physical activity, and psychosocial health, while also supporting impact measurement and the refinement of the approach. SA4D builds on its long-standing experience in the implementation of sport- and play-based programmes, including in refugee settings.

By combining scientific rigour with practical implementation, the project aims to develop an evidence-based and impact-oriented approach that can be scaled and transferred to additional locations in the future.