When Perina Lokure Nakang first took up running as a sport, she covered 9 miles (14 kilometers) along the road near her refugee camp in northwestern Kenya.
The 21-year-old South Sudanese runner competes in the Paris Olympics as part of the Olympic refugee team, which includes 37 athletes striving to represent and advocate for more refugees in the Games.
“I told myself that continuing with running would change my life,” Nakang said. “At the Olympics, everyone is looking to me to represent them.”
The team, which receives support from former refugee Olympians and U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi, embodies “a symbol of inclusion, equality, and achievement” for the global refugee community, Grandi told The Associated Press.
The Olympic refugee team was established at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics through a partnership between the International Olympic Committee and UNHCR, featuring just 10 athletes from four countries. It has since grown to include athletes from 11 countries, including Cuba, Afghanistan, and South Sudan. Many of these athletes, like Nakang, fled their home countries due to conflict.
The refugee team has ignited hope among those who have had to rebuild their lives from scratch in new countries, with the Paris Olympics highlighting themes of diversity and inclusion amidst historic global migration.
During the opening ceremonies, Grandi was awarded the Olympic laurel for his support of the refugee team and his dedication to recognizing the power of sport for refugees. “This is a moment when people who have often lost everything can regain dignity and identity and contribute to their host communities,” Grandi said. “They are not objects of charity but active community participants.”
The Olympics are taking place amid heightened tensions in France, where the far-right party has gained political traction with anti-immigration rhetoric. Additionally, Paris authorities have faced criticism for dismantling homeless camps predominantly occupied by migrants from former French colonies.
“We understand the city needs to manage itself,” Grandi acknowledged. “However, finding humane solutions, especially for asylum-seekers, is crucial. This message extends beyond the Olympics and the French government.”
Current and former refugee athletes like Yiech Pur Biel view the Olympics as a vital platform to humanize refugees and advocate for better asylum access. Biel, a 29-year-old South Sudanese runner among the initial 10 athletes on the refugee team in 2016 and now resides in Nebraska working with UNHCR, hopes the team can “revive the dreams of refugees” and “demonstrate what refugees can achieve.”
Biel expressed hope that as refugee representation grows, the need for a separate refugee team might diminish. “Our goal is to see the refugee population decrease, though we cannot control global events,” he said. “Our ultimate aim is to no longer need a refugee team.”