Refugee Referee: promoting social integration in the Netherlands

The Royal Netherlands Football Association (KNVB) is developing a programme pioneered by amateur club Zeeburgia that sees refugees offered the chance to hone their skills as match officials.

As the football world celebrates World Refugee Day, the Refugee Referee initiative shows how the sport can be a tool for social inclusion and inspire communities to come together.

Creating connections through football

The idea came to staff at Zeeburgia when a centre for refugees opened near the Amsterdam-based club. Recognising the universal appeal of football, Zeeburgia reached out to them.

Refugee Referee has created an accessible way for refugees to integrate with their local community, allowing participants to build social connections, develop their communication and language skills, and become part of a local network.

For their work in pioneering the programme, Zeeburgia won the KNVB's MVP Award, a prize to acknowledge the promotion of diversity, inclusion and accessibility in football.

Referees from across the Netherlands will benefit from the Refugee Referee programmeKNVB

The project has proved so successful that several referees are now officiating for the KNVB, with the support of referee and mentor Abbas Faron, who acknowledges the programme's effectiveness as a tool for integration.

"[Refugee Referee] contributes to integration and participation, without language level being a barrier," says Faron. "The language of football is universal. With the whistle and hand signals, communication is already possible. In addition, football language provides a starting point for learning Dutch more easily."

An added benefit of the Refugee Referee programme is that even with the temporary nature of refugee reception centres and the frequent requirement for refugees to relocate, their skills can be reapplied at other clubs around the country.

Mido Hibatullah also participated in the programme and believes it's a great way to engage. A former professional footballer in Syria, he says refereeing has helped him adapt to life in the Netherlands.

"Refereeing has taught me a lot, as everything here in the Netherlands is a bit different: the culture, how you connect with people, and the language," he says. "Through refereeing, I’ve made many new friends, from amateur level all the way to the professional game. I can also always reach out to my teachers, and they regularly check in on how I’m doing, which I really appreciate."

Refugee officials at the Unity EURO Cup

The UEFA Unity EURO Cup is another shining example of how communities can come together, with participating teams consisting of male and female refugees and amateur players from countries across Europe.

The 2025 edition took place in Zeist in the Netherlands, and the KNVB did not miss the opportunity to further highlight diversity and inclusion at the competition by integrating the Refugee Referee programme. Professional referee Serdar Gözübüyük officiated the final, with participants from Refugee Referee serving as assistant referees.

Thanks to the success of the original Refugee Referee programme and the consequent support at the UEFA Unity EURO Cup, the KNVB is now testing and developing the programme through pilot projects at selected amateur clubs.

The initial findings of the KNVB pilot have been positive. Michael ter Riet, Head of Refereeing at the KNVB, explains. “We were positively surprised by the enthusiasm shown by both the participants and the amateur clubs," he says. "We will now explore how we can build on this foundation. Our goal is to further develop the educational approach, the support structure, and the local collaboration model.”

The Refugee Referee pilot forms part of a broader KNVB legacy and inclusion strategy linked to the Unity EURO Cup, with the federation increasingly focused on creating long-term opportunities for people who have fled their home countries to participate in Dutch football as referees, coaches and community leaders.

The team of officials prepare for the UEFA Unity EURO CupMarcel Bonte/Soccrates

Making football more accessible

Alongside the refugee referee initiative, the KNVB is active in asylum reception centres through its WorldCoaches programme. In addition, The KNVB has identified a need to better support clubs with the registration process for refugee players.

The national federation has launched a dedicated web page which provides clubs with information and practical guidance. It includes ready-to-use letters in English, Arabic and Dutch to share with prospective players, facilitating their inclusion in Dutch football.

The KNVB's WorldCoaches programme supports the football education of refugees in the NetherlandsKNVB

As World Refugee Day approaches, initiatives such as Refugee Referee underline football's unique ability to bring people together, creating opportunities, connections and a sense of belonging for those rebuilding their lives.