Success stories: Syrian refugees build the new future in Austria!

Success stories: Syrian refugees build the new future in Austria!

Wien, Österreich - In Vienna there are numerous success stories from Syrians who have made new roots after their escape. One of the most inspiring is that of Reem Saijari, who fled from Syria at the age of 18 and is now a proud owner of a boutique. It not only brings fresh fashion to the city, but also a piece of Syrian culture that connects it with her passion for design. Her husband, Ali Zaki Torki, is also successful and runs a hairdressing salon that is very popular with the Viennese. These stories are part of a larger image of the Syrian diaspora in Austria.

Fadi Saleh, a Syrian entrepreneur, has made a name for himself with his “apple bakery”. Since his arrival in Austria ten years ago, he has been producing up to 9,000 Arabic Pita bread daily, which not only appeals to the Syrian community, but also many other people in Vienna. These products have become popular, especially in recent years during the 2015 refugee summer, which brought hundreds of thousands of Syrians, Afghans and Iraqis to Austria. While many refugees quickly moved to other countries, many have decided to stay here, which contributed to the current number of around 104,000 Syrians in Austria. This means that they are the eight -largest group of foreigners in the country, with Afghans with around 51,000 and Iraqis with almost 13,000 people.

commitment and challenges of the Syrian community

The commitment of the Syrian diaspora goes beyond economic success. On March 14, an event entitled "The Syrian diaspora in Austria - between humanitarian and political commitment" took place in the diplomatic academy, in which the study was presented on the activities and needs of this community. The researchers Samar Albaradan and Simela Papatheophilou presented the results and emphasized that the Syrian community in Austria is actively involved in areas in which state organizations often give gaps, for example in advice, language support as well as cultural and sports clubs.

The study shows that the Syrians in Austria have a high potential, but are also faced with challenges. Hubert Neuwirth from the Austrian Development Agency described the need to strengthen the transnational commitment, especially with regard to transfers that help many Syrian families at home. However, there are also numerous bureaucratic hurdles that hinder the political commitment of the Syrian community. Often there is a lack of information about participation in political processes, especially in elections.

Psychosocial support and integration

Another urgent topic is the need for psychotherapeutic support for refugees. According to Caroline Niknafs from the umbrella organization of the Viennese social institutions, there is not only a high need, but also a lack of therapy places. The demands for free training offers for psychotherapists: inside is loud and clear. At the same time, Fatmé Khalil-Hammoud emphasized the multilingual integration offers of the city of Vienna as urgently necessary in order to meet the diversity.

The political and psychological challenges within the Syrian community are therefore complex. Split and distrust of state institutions, as addressed by Simela Papatheophilou, show that the path to complete integration is still long. However, an UN institution for searching for missing people from Syria was booked as a success and gives rise to hope that further steps can be taken in the right direction.

It is all the more important to hear the voices of the Syrian community and to include them in decision -making processes in order to avoid frustrations. The way forward leads to dialogue and understanding, and the stories of people like Reem Saijari, Ali Zaki Torki and Fadi Saleh are the best proof that integration can succeed if everyone pulls together.