LIMA, Peru – International Organization for Migration (IOM) director general Amy Pope concluded her first official visit to Peru last Friday, kicking off a strategic partnership between IOM Peru and the premier Spanish football league LALIGA FOUNDATION to promote social cohesion and healthy living among migrant and host community children and teens.
“The integration of migrants here in Peru is not just a humanitarian effort, it is an opportunity to build stronger, more cohesive societies,” Director General Pope said. “Sport unites people across cultures, and no sport is more global than soccer. Through this partnership we are creating spaces where young people – both migrants and Peruvians – can learn teamwork and leadership, as well as fostering connections that go beyond the game.”
This collaboration, supported by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), builds upon the achievements of El Balón No Tiene Fronteras (Soccer Has No Borders), a similar program implemented by IOM in Peru since 2019, which reached over 1,600 children and youth across Peru, fostering social inclusion and strengthening community ties.
Through soccer clinics, leadership workshops, and community-building events, LALIGA’s coaches will work directly with students and local leaders to promote key values such as respect, sportsmanship, and solidarity. IOM will collaborate closely with the national ministry of education to ensure this initiative’s sustainability and broad impact across public schools in Lima with a significant number of migrant students.
During her visit, Director General Pope held meetings with president Dina Boluarte and prime minister, Gustavo Adrianzén, and participated in the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the ministry of foreign affairs to boost joint efforts to enhance national development through programs that support migrants in Peru, Peruvians abroad, and Peruvians returning home.
Director General Pope also met with government officials, donors, private sector representatives, and UN partners; and visited the Central Orientation and Assistance Point (PAO), an IOM-supported site in southern Lima where over 7,000 migrants have received information on basic services and access to documentation, primary health care, and psychosocial support since August 2024.
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