Organised sport in Niamey’s refugee sites: a multilevel analysis of changes between 2019 and 2022

Michelini, Enrico ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3367-1372 and Norrito, Alessio ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7638-0773 (2025) Organised sport in Niamey’s refugee sites: a multilevel analysis of changes between 2019 and 2022. International Journal of Sport Policy and Politics. pp. 1-21. ISSN 1940-6940

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Abstract

Refugee sites are a central mean of managing large-scale forced migrations. Despite their life-saving scope, they are ‘liminal spaces’ that re-create ‘time bubble’ feelings. In such settings, sport activities are standardly organised and believed to be beneficial for site residents. Against this background, the question ‘Which factors do influence organised sport in refugee sites over time?’ is assessed through ethnographic studies conducted in 2019 and 2022 at a refugee site complex in Niger. The collected data is analysed using qualitative content analysis and interpreted using ecological systems theory. The multi-level analysis identifies the organisation level as the most influential for the sport activities provided. Particularly the frequent changes of the organisations in charge of sport imply the restart of programmes that should be delivering long-term outcomes for individuals and thus cannot achieve their objectives. Although difficult to implement, the development of a system for transferring sport-related knowledge is identified as a way to alleviate this problem.