Rabat – On the sidelines of Africa’s first summit for education through sport, TIBU Morocco and the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) have begun a partnership to help refugees in Morocco integrate into civil society through participation in sport.
On April 6, celebrating the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, the two parties signed a partnership agreement that covers education, professional integration, and capacity building, within the border context of refugee safety and integration.
The signing ceremony took place in Casablanca, during the last day of the Education Sport Summit Africa, organized by Morocco’s Ministry of National Education and TIBU Morocco.
UNHCR’s representative in Morocco Francois Reybet-Degat welcomed the partnership agreement which will give refugees access to education, through TIBU Morocco sports centers.
Mohamed Amine Zariat, the Founding President of TIBU Morocco noted that they have “adopted an ambitious action plan in several areas and for the benefit of a large refugee population in Morocco.”
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He concluded, “this agreement is a confirmation [of]… the power of sport to create more peaceful and inclusive societies.”
According to UNHCR, as of September 1, 2020, Morocco hosts a total of 11,960 refugees and asylum seekers from over 40 countries. The North African country represents both a transit and a host country for refugees and asylum seekers from across the continent.
UNHCR has previously stated that one of its top priorities is to support the Moroccan government in implementing a national asylum system to protect the most vulnerable refugees. Together with the appropriate Moroccan authorities, the two parties aim to provide 100% of refugees in Morocco with primary education as well as primary health care.
It is within this understanding that TIBU Morocco seeks to provide a variety of target populations, in particular refugee children and young people, with opportunities for integration and education through participation in sport.
