Remembering who we are doing policy for: The story of refugee Ousmane Doumbouya

During one of the classes of the course Migration and integration policies (Fall 2021) taught by Anna Piccinni, EAP students were offered the opportunity to meet with Oumsane Doumbouya, a 29 years old artist who fled from Guinea after being chased by the police because of a documentary he was producing on living conditions in prisons. After spending a few years in Morocco, he settled in Paris 5 years ago where he is now a social worker, comedian, rapper and poet, and collaborates with the Cultural Centre FGO Barbara in the 18th arrondissement. 

Students Sara Amesiane Hassani and Michael Osman have shared their feelings with us on this unique encounter.

What were the highlights from this class and the guest speaker? Key takeaways?

His intervention brought a human element that transcended the bounds of what a classroom can reach. We really saw the adversity that migrants struggle through in coming to France. We often hear about migration as statistics and far away from our lives, but Ousmane is really the story behind the numbers. It made me feel so privileged to study in France, but as a future policymaker it also reminded me about the importance of acknowledging the human aspect of policy in migration.

What surprised you the most and what did you learn from this?

Michael Osman: “I think what surprised me most is the feeling migrants have of being stuck between a rock and a hard place. Life can be so difficult in some countries, but so to can the process of migration. 7 metre walls, a deadly ocean or massive mountains seem like impenetrable barriers, yet this situation in some countries makes the risk worth it. Ousmane’s story of the ocean crossing between Morocco and Spain really put into perspective how difficult it is, and that not everyone makes it. Even those who make it to Europe struggle to claim asylum. In hearing the horrors of political corruption, abuse and poverty, yet the journey towards France is complicated to say the least.”

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How has this impacted your academic and professional horizons? Has this broadened your future career objectives?

Sara Amesiane Hassani: “What I appreciated most about the talk by Mr. Doumbouya was that it reminded me of how important it is to listen to the experiences of people affected by migration policy. When spending an entire semester discussing migration from a governance perspective, one easily forgets that we are talking about real people, their lives and destinies. Especially as someone that aspires to be involved in policy-making in the future, remembering who we are doing policy for and the impact it might have on individuals is key for finding humane and effective solutions to complex problems. It was therefore a huge enrichment that Mr. Doumbouya was kind enough to share with us such personal and painful experiences and answer our questions.”

Michael Osman: “The intervention was unique in that even for those who work outside of migration policy, the effects of other policies on migrants will forever be ingrained in our policy skills. How might public health policies affect refugees? How can policies designed to develop labour capabilities consider migrants? Our class was always holistic, and having the human element really brought in the last critical element that we needed as policymakers to make a real impact.”

learn more

• The Social Policy and Social Innovation stream at the School of Public Affairs