"AG Welcome Aids in Uellendahl's Effort": The Role of AG Welcome in Uellendahl
In a heartwarming tale of resilience and integration, Akram Al Homsy, a Syrian refugee, has found a new home in Germany. After fleeing his war-torn country and settling in Wuppertal through a UN program, Akram's journey has been marked by challenges, but also by remarkable achievements.
Upon his arrival in Germany at the age of 17, Akram faced unexplained pain and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that his mentor, Ulrich Ippendorf, was unable to address quickly due to the bureaucratic complexities of the German system. It took three long years for Akram's PTSD to be recognised and treated.
Despite this, Akram considers Germany his home and is grateful for the support he has received. His parents still reside in Wuppertal, and he has been blessed with positive feedback instead of hate comments following his meeting with Angela Merkel, the former Chancellor of Germany. Akram met Merkel in a Syrian restaurant in Berlin for an ARD interview, where they discussed integration, homeland, career entry, training, overcrowded refugee accommodations, and help with war traumas.
Akram's mentor, Ulrich Ippendorf, continues to support the Al Homsy family and was involved in the Welcome Working Group, an initiative that provided significant support to Akram in settling in Wuppertal. Akram learned German while hospitalized in Germany after his arrival, and he is now training to be a physiotherapist and acting in the Tontheater on a website.
Germany's mental health care for traumatized refugees is evolving to meet the complex needs of those like Akram. Current resources and support systems include specialized trauma-informed psychological services, programs addressing post-migration stress, and initiatives to improve cultural competence among care providers. Research highlights the significant role of post-migration stress in mediating mental health outcomes for Middle Eastern refugees in Germany, indicating that addressing both pre-migration trauma and post-migration challenges is essential.
Germany offers trauma counseling centers, psycho-social support programs, and increasingly emphasizes community-based models incorporating cultural and linguistic competencies to improve access and effectiveness. The 2025 studies referenced focus on links between trauma, post-migration stress, and mental health outcomes, suggesting the need for comprehensive care systems integrating psychosocial support and addressing socio-environmental factors.
On a broader European level, the World Health Organization's recent 2025 roadmap emphasizes embedding lived experience and peer roles within mental health services, promoting co-creation, organizational readiness, and the use of digital innovations to expand mental health support reach. Germany is among the countries encouraged to adopt these actions, potentially influencing future refugee mental health care frameworks.
However, ongoing efforts to expand professional roles for peer support and more systematic trauma-informed programs remain critical to adequately meet refugees' complex needs. Akram Al Homsy, a testament to resilience and determination, wishes that Angela Merkel would take the problem of traumatized refugees and their need for quick psychological support more seriously. He also expresses the need for those who stand for and shape integration to speak louder.
- Akram, despite his initial struggles with health-and-wellness issues like PTSD, considers Germany his home and is grateful for the support he has received, including mental-health care that is evolving to meet the complex needs of traumatized refugees.
- Germany's education-and-self-development opportunities have helped Akram Al Homsy, as he is now training to be a physiotherapist and acting in the Tontheater.
- In the broader context of Europe, the World Health Organization's 2025 roadmap promotes embedding lived experience and peer roles within mental health services, a recommendation that Germany, along with other countries, is encouraged to adopt.
- Akram Al Homsy, a Syrian refugee who has found success in Germany, expresses a need for quick psychological support for traumatized refugees and for those who stand for and shape integration to speak louder, especially on issues related to career-development and politics.
