Politics on the square. Sudanese exiles facing asylum government in Cairo

In Egypt, as in many other countries of the world, the role of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in the daily life of refugees is central as evidenced by their regular visits. However, the offices of the organization and its partners are secured in a way that puts them at a distance and reduces the possibilities of interaction. The counter, theoretically the central place for these administrative encounters, is replaced by the square, a forecourt space located in front of the organization's buildings, which has become almost inaccessible, where the exiles are confined. The square becomes a place where people socialize and learn from each other's experiences, without the presence of administrative agents. These shared experiences encourage the recognition of structural flaws in the functioning of the government of asylum, and the emergence of a political critique that sometimes translates into occupations or demonstrations in the square. By adopting a theoretical framework that combines the study of international humanitarian policy from below and the relationship of subaltern politics, this article shows that the square, produced by these devices of distancing and depoliticization, actually induces an unexpected politicization of the experiences of exile.