Indian Teen Excels in German, Syrian Returnee Struggles with Repatriation

Rishabh Agarwal, a 16-year-old student living in Frankfurt, has achieved the highest score worldwide in the international German Cambridge-IGCSE exam after only five years of language study. Originally from India, Rishabh’s family moved from Shanghai and Paris before settling in Germany when he was 11. He learned German from scratch at the International School in Frankfurt and improved his skills by insisting his badminton club speak only German with him. Awarded the Outstanding Cambridge Learner Award, he described the test as easy and also won two math competitions, though sports remain his passion. Meanwhile, the contrasting experience of Syrian returnee Fadi Mohammad highlights integration challenges. Mohammad returned to Syria after nearly two years in Germany but now regrets it, feeling alienated by a more conservative Syrian society. Despite financial support for his repatriation, Mohammad struggles to adapt and has had suicidal thoughts. He expressed a strong desire to return to Germany, not as an asylum seeker but with a work visa to join the healthcare sector, which he believes needs workers. Official figures show only 3,262 Syrians have returned under government programs, and experts warn many face disillusionment due to drastic changes in their home country. These stories underline the complex experiences of migration and integration related to language acquisition and cultural adaptation in Germany and beyond.