“A new personality is emerging.” That is what the future mayor of Ostelsheim in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, Ryyan Alshebl, said about himself on Tuesday to the foreign press in Berlin. June 19 is his first day as a community leader. Eight years ago he came to Germany as a Syrian refugee with no knowledge of foreign languages. He was elected to office in April.
“There is a lot of noise right now, but I’m not even in office yet,” says the 29-year-old. Behind the young man with a three-day beard, who not only speaks perfect German, but also has almost no accent, you wouldn’t suspect a Syrian.
“You Have to Decide”
And who remains modest despite the hype about his person: Something happened in the village that doesn’t happen every day. “It grabs the public’s attention. But that shouldn’t lead to concerns about action. You have to decide.”
No supermarket in village community
In the municipality of Ostelsheim, which has a population of 2,700, there is no grocery store and there are problems with childcare, trade must be arranged. These are all points from his election program, with which Alshebl, who stood up for the Greens, won against a candidate from the region. A rare occurrence, as he himself admits: “Especially rural people are supposed to be closed structures that give newcomers few opportunities.”
Came to Germany in 2015 via the Balkan route and Austria
Alshebl fled Syria eight years ago with four friends, “mainly because of military service”. Within twelve days they made their way from Turkey to Greece via Lebanon in a dinghy, and on to Germany via the Balkan route and Austria. “That was when there was an agreement in Europe that people were allowed to cross.”
The new life in Germany calls for pragmatism, says the young mayor. He is happy to have been given this opportunity. “Others end up in refugee camps. I could have been, I was lucky.” After initial feelings of being away from home, his situation normalized. “And that’s a good thing. It always takes a rational rectification of feelings.
language proficiency
He attributes his excellent knowledge of German to a number of factors: “You have no choice but to learn German. More Swabian even.” Just interacting with other people forces you to learn the language. In addition, he has a basic talent.
Citizenship obtained in the previous year
In 2022, Alshebl received German citizenship two years ahead of the planned eight years in a discretionary naturalization. His Syrian high school diploma was not going so well. Due to a two percent difference, he was not recognized as a German Matura. Further studies failed because of the age requirement. So he took a vocational course in administration and decided to run for mayor.
Visits from parents are not possible
Alshebl has only seen his parents, who are in Syria, once since he fled: last year on a business trip to Lebanon. Parents cannot visit their son: “Germany does not issue visas to Syrian citizens because every Syrian is seen as a potential refugee.” One of his two brothers also lives in Baden-Württemberg and studied mechanical engineering in Germany.
Alshebl does not come from a religious family and is not religious herself. In the election campaign, however, a point was made of this. Will he take other refugees into his community? “Of course you want to help other people. The province is responsible for distribution. And it is already overloaded. I think Germany’s willingness to take people in is humanly necessary; in real-political terms, the EU must ensure that the distribution is fair.”
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
