Safe career development and protection for young migrant athletes

ongoing

SafeSport Pathways is a transnational initiative designed to protect young migrant athletes from exploitation in sports recruitment by raising awareness, strengthening support networks, and promoting ethical governance. The project addresses the increasing risks of fraudulent recruitment, labor exploitation, and human trafficking that disproportionately affect young migrant athletes. As migration flows are expected to intensify with the 2030 FIFA World Cup, SafeSport Pathways provides timely, evidence-based solutions to safeguard vulnerable athletes and reinforce integrity in sports governance. The project is structured around three interconnected work packages. WP1 ensures effective project management, coordination, and compliance, following the EU’s PM² methodology. WP2 focuses on capacity building and protection mechanisms, developing a multilingual educational toolkit on safe recruitment and athlete rights, a digital micro-credential for coaches, social workers, and sports agents to enhance their safeguarding skills, and train-the-trainers workshops to ensure widespread knowledge dissemination. Additionally, WP2 establishes a Rapid Response & Reporting Guide, integrating existing protection networks into a structured intervention framework, equipping professionals with the tools to identify and support at-risk athletes effectively. WP3 ensures wide-reaching awareness and impact through targeted digital campaigns, integration of project outputs into platforms like the EU Youth Portal and EPALE, and stakeholder engagement activities. The project’s final event will bring together sports federations, policymakers, and advocacy groups to drive policy adoption and ensure the sustainability of its recommendations.