UNHCR Help
Country-by-country information for refugees and asylum seekers.
For newcomers building a life in a new country. Talk with people in Austria who know what it is like, find help near you, and join the worldwide circle too. Free, always.
Next gathering in the Austria circle: Weekly check-in ·
Country-by-country information for refugees and asylum seekers.
“You will rehearse conversations that other people do not think twice about. That is okay. You will hear your accent in recordings and cringe. That is okay too. The thing I wish I had known is that the fear gets smaller not because you 'get over it' but because you do the thing anyway, over and over, until your body stops expecting the worst. Find one person who gets it. For me it was Mason. And go dancing. Your body remembers how to be happy even when your head is busy worrying.”
“Cuando llegas a un país nuevo, todo es extraño. El idioma, las costumbres, la comida. Te sientes perdido. Yo también. Pero poco a poco, vas encontrando tu sitio. No te compares con los demás. Cada uno tiene su ritmo. Busca ayuda. Habla con gente que haya pasado por lo mismo. Y no te olvides de tu idioma, de tus raíces. Eso te mantendrá entero.”
“About three years ago, that was me. Visa renewal stress. That was my life. Now I sleep most nights. It comes back slowly, like feeling in your fingers after the cold. Keep going, even slowly.”
“I was in the same place eighteen months ago. I remember my degree not recognised like it was yesterday. My kids say I'm back. The bad days get further apart. Hang on.”