Syrian refugee elected mayor of German village


Syrian born Ryyan Alshebl, Ostelsheim mayor-designate, walks near Stuttgart in Ostelsheim, Germany, April 4, 2023. REUTERS/Lukas Barth

BERLIN (Reuters) - Rayyan Alshebl made his first contact with Germany in 2009, watching Bayern Munich football matches on television in Syria. A few years later, he would seek refuge there after civil war in his home country forced him to flee.

Today, he is not only a German citizen but mayor-elect of Ostelsheim, a village of 2,500 near the city of Stuttgart, making him probably the first Syrian refugee to be elected for public office.

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