From the refugee to the entrepreneur: Greifswald success story!

From the refugee to the entrepreneur: Greifswald success story!

Greifswald, Deutschland - in Greifswald, the story of Ivan Shabo has developed into an impressive example of entrepreneurial success and dealing with challenges. In 2001, the then 15-year-old came to Germany with his family from Baghdad. Iraq escaped for political reasons after his father had to flee a year earlier. In Germany, the family - consisting of Ivan, his parents and four siblings - was faced with a completely new language and culture.

The beginnings were anything but light. The father worked in the construction system, the mother in the commercial area. In Germany, however, they had to start from scratch and left their prosperity in Iraq. Ivan initially had difficulties at school and repeated 9th grade. Problems like the language barrier did not make it easy to get started. After moving to Berlin, he had to return to Greifswald as a minor student, but found no place at his old school. With just one secondary school leaving certificate, no teaching could be started because he was missing the work permit.

from the student to the entrepreneur

his determination finally led him to training as a hairdresser in 2007, which he completed with flying colors. At the end of 2012, Ivan opened his own barbershop in Greifswald and experienced an upswing with his shops. Through the success, he was able to take further entrepreneurial steps: he developed his own cosmetic line called "Bartzart" and registered a patent in 2016. On platforms like Amazon, he achieved a monthly turnover of up to 250,000 euros. In the meantime he has sold his hairdressing shops, with the exception of a branch in Stralsund, and now focuses on e-commerce.

2022 Ivan founded the grocery delivery service "Foodpipe" in cooperation with local Edeka markets and is already planning the expansion to Bremen. His latest project, the management consultancy "Hellessystem", aims to offer other founders valuable support and possibly act as investors.

A look at migration and integration

The challenges with which Ivan was confronted are reflected in the experiences of many migrants in Germany. Iraq is the second most common country of origin for asylum seekers in Germany. In 2019, over 13,000 people returned to their homeland as part of the “Perspective Heimat” program, often driven by the lack of perspective and lack of support in reintegration. A study report shows that only 39% of the returnees were able to find employment after eight months, and many think about a new departure to Germany, since structural causes of flight continue to exist.

The social debates about migration and integration are becoming increasingly important in Germany, even after incidents in East Germany. According to Statista, there were over 12 million people with a migration background in Germany in 2023, and a positive migration balance has been emerging since 2010. Further training and integration measures are important steps, but many migrants are still threatened by poverty despite their efforts.

As Ivan shows, entrepreneurial spirit is a key to successful integration. Its history not only encourages other migrants, but also appeals to society, which is required in their use of diversity and opportunities. Schabo remains a shining example of the path from escape to entrepreneurial freedom.

For more information about Ivan's impressive trip, read the detailed reports in the Ostsee-Zeitung , About the perspectives in Iraq on volunteer-rueckiegel.de and statistics on migration and integration on Statista.com .