Guide from erstmalreden.de

Refugee: trauma, language, and fear of authorities

After war, violence, flight, loss, or insecure residence, seeking help can be especially hard. Language and fear of authorities need to be considered.

Three young people from different backgrounds talking together

Language, refuge & young people

In short

What this page is about
A deeper page for refugees when trauma, language, residence, or fear of authorities make help hard.
This may fit if
you are looking into this topic: Refugee: trauma, language, and fear of authorities
If you do just one thing
Name language and place.

You do not have to prove everything

Sleep problems, memories, panic, withdrawal, pain, irritability, or constant tension can happen after stressful experiences. A first counseling contact can help without you proving everything or telling your whole story immediately.

Name language directly

Say early which language you need. Ask about interpreting, multilingual counseling, migration counseling, social counseling, or a psychosocial center. If you are unsure, you can prepare a sentence and read or show it.

Fear of authorities is a topic

If letters, appointments, residence, hearings, or authorities burden you strongly, social counseling can help sort the next step. Mental health support and social questions often belong together. You do not have to understand everything alone.

What you do not have to tell

You may start slowly. At the first contact, you do not need to tell every detail of flight, violence, or loss. It is enough to say what burdens you today and what help you need.

In acute danger

In acute danger or danger to life, call 112. Language should not stop you from calling emergency help. Name your location and say it is an emergency.

Updated: July 4, 2026 · Sources checked: July 4, 2026

Sources and notes

What you can do now

If you only wanted information

This guide may fit as a next step: Help for refugees with language barriers

Open article

If you want to try first contact

Use the sentence helper or copy one short sentence. First contact does not have to be perfect.

Prepare a sentence

If it has become urgent

Then reading more is not the priority. Open urgent help or call 112 in Germany if there is immediate danger.

Open urgent help
  1. Name language and place.
  2. Look for social counseling or a psychosocial center.
  3. Call 112 in danger.

This page offers orientation and words for first contact. If you need counseling, therapy, or emergency help, real contact points matter.