Cairo, 19 August - In March 2019, LaLiga and IOM Egypt signed a partnership in Cairo, Egypt, with the aim of raising awareness on the benefits of migration as well eradicating racial discrimination.

As part of the first stage of the partnership, LaLiga football legends such as professional goalkeeper Iker Casillas are supporting the initiative through positive messages on migration: “Being abroad forces you to mature and constantly learn. The benefits of playing abroad are that you force yourself to understand other cultures, you mature”, said Iker Casillas, professional goalkeeper for Football Club (FC) Porto.

Casillas, a Spanish national, became LaLiga’s first Icon and is currently a migrant in Portugal, playing for FC Porto, a Portuguese sports club based in Porto, Portugal.

“It is very important to count on prominent figures such as Iker Casillas to convey the people of the benefits of migration. Football is an industry based on migration and we are happy to collaborate with LaLiga to be able to showcase real life experiences from the prominent football figures themselves” said Laurent De Boeck, IOM Egypt’s Chief of Mission.

The partnership will further implement projects in Egypt using Spanish football as a tool for development. In the first step of the partnership between LaLiga and IOM Egypt, the presence and input of international football players such as Iker Casillas is a significant way to raise awareness about the challenges and the benefits of migration, and highlights how this initiative contributes to United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), namely Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities, Goal 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions and Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals.  

“Football is a sport which involves a significant number of players moving between countries, and all players who come from outside Spain are considered migrants. That is why partnering with IOM is important and necessary to raise awareness on migration, discrimination in societies”, said Juan Fuentes, Delegate of LaLiga.

For more information, please contact Omar Awwad at IOM Egypt, Tel: +20 1032 049 144 Email: oawwad@iom.int