Social soccer matches between refugees currently residing at the Melbourne Immigration Transit Accommodation centre (MITA) in Broadmeadows, and community members are helping build relationships and compassion, Labor member for Calwell, Maria Vamvakinou has told Parliament.

“The soccer matches that I have worked with the MITA administration to establish are aimed at fostering links with the community through sport and providing a physical outlet for the boys,” Ms Vamvakinou said, adding “sport, especially the world game, is a great equaliser for teenage boys no matter where they come from, or what their circumstances”.

Since the MITA soccer matches began a couple of months ago, more than 140 boys from the broader community have come to play against the formidable MITA teams, who rarely lose a match, Ms Vamvakinou said.

Clare Corbet, whose son Angelo Fusca is regularly involved in the matches, described the initiative as positive.

“It’s particularly important for kids to get a more realistic picture of the world of the refugee,” she told Neos Kosmos. “It’s important for kids to see we’re talking about real people”.

Ms Corbet said MITA’s physical centre is better than she thought it would be. “However, the actual reality of them being castrated and not allowed to go out is very real,” she said. “We can’t just invite those kids to come around to our house and play with our children, you can’t do the normal things you’d hope to do with your kid’s friends”.

Melbourne University Arts student, Bernard Wojcik, regularly plays against the MITA teams, describing it as “just a game of sport”.

“There’s obviously a lot of problems. I learn a lot about social justice as part of my Arts course at uni, but there’s not many outlets provided to put these ideas into practice,” Mr Wojcik told Neos Kosmos. “I think it’s great to go and be involved in it. It’s nice to just confirm that the asylum seekers are just like anyone else. It lends a bit of weight to your opinions,” he said.

Other community groups involved with the soccer matches are Banksia Gardens Community Group, the Brunswick Zebras Football Club, the Whittlesea Rangers, students from Melbourne University, the Latrobe University Centre for Dialogue and local schools, Ilim College and Isik College, as well as students from Alphington Grammar, who have invited the MITA team to their school.