From the refugee child to a lawyer: Mehria Asshuftah conquers Hamburg's parliament!

From the refugee child to a lawyer: Mehria Asshuftah conquers Hamburg's parliament!

In the Hamburg state parliament, it is colorful and diverse, especially with a new, remarkable voice: Mehria Asshuftah, the first Afghan -born woman of the SPD. Her story from the refugee child to the lawyer and politician not only inspires the Afghans in Hamburg, but also shows how important political participation is for migrants. Mehria was born in Kabul on November 3, 1987 and, only one year old, came to Germany with her family. The escape over the mountains to Pakistan and then to Hamburg was not a sugar slack. First, the family lived in a hotel on the Reeperbahn before it was housed in a refugee home in Hamburg-Groß Borstel.

The start in Germany was difficult for little Multia. In primary school, she had major problems with the German language and even received an injuring comment from a teacher. But even in difficult times she was lucky in misfortune: her grandfather gave her the necessary courage and encouraged her with the words that she could achieve everything she wanted. And she did. After her 2nd state examination in 2019, she works as a lawyer and lecturer at the university today.

political rise and commitment

2011 Mehria Asshuftah joined the SPD and has made a name for itself in Hamburg's political scenery since then. In the last elections, she was able to achieve an impressive 8994 votes and was then elected to the citizens, where she is now active in the budget committee. She experienced emotional moments, especially when announcing the election result, which made her dream of being a voice for the Afghans in Hamburg.

With over 60,000 Afghans in Hamburg, of which around 30,000 have the right to vote, the political participation of this community is a central concern for Mehria. It asks the Afghans to exercise their democratic rights. In a country in which around 8.7 million people without German citizenship are considered foreigners and many of them have no voting rights, such voices are gold value. In addition, it indicates the importance of introducing an anti -discrimination law in Hamburg to create equal opportunities for everyone.

actions for the Afghans

A big topic for Asshuftah is the evacuation of endangered Afghans and access to educational and integration programs for migrants. She wants to create more sensitivity to the challenges with which people from other cultures are confronted. Your personal connection to Afghanistan is also strong. A necklace in the form of the map of Afghanistan and a bottle of Afghan soil are symbols of their roots that they always carry.

Your experiences as a diplomat in the Federal Foreign Office and in the German Bundestag would like to bring Mehria into her political work. It shows that political participation of migrants is a key to integration. According to the Federal Center for Political Education, it is important that migrants actively participate in political processes. The exclusion of migrants from the political system is often referred to as "democratic deficit", and in Hamburg there are also discussions about the introduction of a local election law for non-EU foreigners.

Mehria Asshuftah's story is more than just a success - it is an impressive example of the path that many migrants in Germany go. In a city that is as diverse as its residents, it is becoming increasingly important that voices are heard that stand for change and integration. Mehria has managed to beat a bridge between cultures as a lawyer, academic and politician and to campaign for her community and the entire city of Hamburg.