Brazil Teaches Palestinian Refugees To Play Ball

In a deal brokered by the United Nations, Brazil has become home to 93 Palestinian refugee families from Iraq and Jordan where they receive assistance from the local government to get on their feet, including the chance to play soccer. The youth receive soccer training at local clubs and dream to play with the country's leading soccer teams.

The Arabic people have deep roots in the Brazilian cultural melting pot. It is estimated that 70,000 Arabic immigrants (notably Lebanese and Syrian but also from Jordan, Palestine, and Iraq) landed in Brazil in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, forming today's population of full or partial Arabic descent of about 10 million people. Arab Brazilians are considered the largest Arab population outside the Middle East, according to the Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce.

The population of Brazil identifying with either full or partial Arabic descent is estimated at between 8 to 10 million people, most of them tracing their roots back to Lebanese  and Syrian immigrants who arrived in Brazil in the early 20th century. The Lebanese population in Brazil, over 7 million descendants and recent immigrants is larger than the population in Lebanon.