Diaby Abdourahamane arrived in Portugal by clandestine route after crossing the Mediterranean in 2007, during the war in Côte d’Ivoire. In 2009, given the integration challenges faced by refugees, it created the first refugee association in Portugal, ARP – Refugee Association in Portugal.

Since 2010, he has been an active voice in the reflection, programming, and implementation of all projects for the reception and integration of refugees in Portugal.

He is also currently a collaborator on the Comparte project, a social transformation project that seeks to bring refugees and policy makers together with the aim of finding joint solutions for improving the integration and citizenship reception system.

Diaby believes that the refugee population still has a lot to give and add to Portugal’s socio-economic development.