Unity Without Borders offers a path to Unite Europe for devs affected by Trump
50 developers will receive visa assistance, flight, accommodation, per diem and an event ticket - applications close on March 19
Unity Technologies has unveiled its Unity Without Borders sponsorship program, through which 50 developers from countries affected by President Trump's immigration ban will be able to attend Unite Europe in Amsterdam in June.
John Riccitiello, the company's CEO, committed to the idea in the days following the implementation of the ban, but the exact nature of the initiative has only been revealed today. As part of Unity Without Borders, 50 developers will receive assistance from Unity with the Schengen visa process, a round-trip airline ticket to Amsterdam, four nights in a hotel, money for per diem expenses, and a free ticket to Unite Europe.
"These are challenging times politically," Riccitiello said in an email at the time of the ban. "Our developers in 7 countries now feel targeted and less welcome in the USA, whether the US courts continue to block the Trump administration's immigration ban or not. Even beyond the 7 countries called out, developers and residents of other countries feel like they're potentially next and unwelcome."
Riccitiello also said that Unity would encourage its development and platform partners to sponsor more people beyond the 50 paid for by the Without Borders initiative.
In a statement accompanying the announcement, SeyedMahdi Dabestani, COO of the Iranian developer Bearded Bird Studio, described the country's "vibrant and growing" community of more than 100 game companies.
"Since the Trump administration introduced its unprecedented executive order, attending US events is no longer possible and we feel that there is no good reason for this," he said. "We also need to remember that the progress of this industry is not just about making more games - it's about being able to drive awareness on a global stage as well as sharing and contributing ideas with our international peers.
"Programs such as Unity Without Borders provide a huge boost for Iranian studios; this way we are still able to have a presence and make our voices heard on the global stage."
Developers affected by the Trump immigration order can apply through the Unity Without Borders website, until 12.00am CET on March 19.