The Rovers’ refugees need your help!

Over the past 18 months, Munich Irish Rovers FC has proudly integrated several refugees from war-torn countries like Afghanistan, Mali and Syria into our football club, like Abdoulaye, Ali, Lamine and Jamshid pictured above.

These young men have become valuable members of our club and good friends to us all. They are so grateful for the opportunity to live in Germany and have striven hard to integrate, learn the language and take advantage of the education offered to them here.

But now they need OUR help!!

One by one, they have had their applications for asylum, and a chance for a better life, denied due to political pressure to send them home.

How can they be helped?

There are several options left to be explored that may help our friends stay in Germany and continue to build a life for themselves here. One of those is lodging legal appeal. With the help of expert lawyers that specialise in asylum law, many of our refugees have been able to lodge appeals against their decision, which extends their asylum status for 6-12 months while the case is dealt with.

Although the appeal does not guarantee asylum status, it gives them time to find internships/apprenticeships, and continue improving their German - all of which would significantly increase their chances. Unfortunately, lawyers are not cheap and our refugees have not been able to cover the costs on their own.

As a club, we have already donated €200 in funds raised at our Christmas party raffle, which have contributed to legal fees, but this has not come close to covering the full expense.

Gabi Canavan, a close friend of the Rovers, has dedicated every minute of her waking hours to support, not only our refugees, but many of the 700 based in a camp near our home ground in Solln.

She supports them in so many different ways, from helping them with school work, to taking them to and from hospitals, to driving 3 hours every day just to provide some company and support.

In addition to this, she has spent hundreds of Euros out of her own pocket on legal & interpretation fees, extra tuition costs, transport and accommodation etc.

The two main goals of these fundraiser are thus:

1) to compensate Gabi for the money she has so kindly spent to date;

2) to create a fund that will allow us to continue supporting our friends during their appeal process/job search after their funding has been cut.

How can you help?

Any donation, small or large, will allow us to continue supporting our refugee friends and ensure we give them the best possible chance of a better life. Gabi, and so many volunteers in Munich, work tirelessly every day to do this and it would be a great shame for it to go to waste because of a lack of funding.

We would be extremely grateful for any donations, either one-off or recurring, if you are willing and able. We will provide detailed accounts of fund allocations and ensure full transparency.

Funds will be allocated by Gabi Canavan.

For any questions or for more information, please contact us at: jordanmaciel92 (at) gmail.com