“The weight of two worlds” – Sermon Shaba wants to ease the pressure many young immigrants feel

Young people carry the future on their shoulders. If they don’t receive the right support today, society risks losing an entire generation tomorrow. Youth often find themselves at the crossroads of old systems and new realities.

Sermon Shaba, originally from Iraq and having lived in Sweden for many years, says that mentors, such as teachers, family members, workplace supervisors, or representatives of authorities or civil society, can play crucial roles in these young people’s lives. It is important to create environments where young second-generation immigrants feel seen, included, and respected.

– We must start truly listening to these young people. Not through surveys or campaigns, but through continuous dialogues and consultations. Including youth in decision-making processes costs little but changes a lot. It’s a simple step toward trust.

Early and clearly

Early and clearly, or in Swedish ’tidigt och tydligt’, has become a slogan that describes Sermon Shaba’s philosophy in his work in alleviating the pressure many young immigrants feel.

Early is important, as a lot of pressure might lead young people astray and cause them to choose the wrong path in life. Clearly is equally crucial, since their own parents might not always be able to provide all the information they need in the new society, as the parents’ own integration process is still ongoing.

– All parents want the best for their children. Generally, parents of second-generation immigrants want to help their children integrate into the new society. Still, young people are usually quicker to integrate and know more about the new society than their parents.

Culturally sensitive mental health services can help when feeling lost

Within his recommendations, as one of the experts in the Nordic Migrant Expert Forum, Sermon Shaba mentions the need for culturally sensitive mental health services in schools and community spaces.

Young people can feel lost. They navigate between loyalty to their family’s cultural heritage and a desire to fit into the majority society. This identity conflict can cause stress, guilt, and feelings of inadequacy. If society doesn’t recognise this experience, it can lead to marginalisation, a lack of belonging, or even radicalisation. But if we affirm their dual sense of belonging, it can become a source of creativity, empathy, and strength.

Sermon Shaba envisions mental health services staffed by well-educated professionals who understand that identity isn’t static, but an ongoing process.

– We need to create systems that mirror young people’s realities, which could involve more culturally competent therapists, additional meeting spaces within civil society, and enhanced collaboration between schools, families, and healthcare providers.

Shaba says accessibility is key: counselling in schools, digital helplines, and initiatives rooted in personal relationships rather than institutions.

– True safety is cultivated through genuine human interactions. Our mission is to create a space where young people can explore, question, and grow without feeling shame. Strategically, this requires training in intercultural competence, norm awareness, and mental health linked to migration experiences.

“Our task is not to lighten their identity, but to lift the weight”

Many young second-generation immigrants feel confused. When the weight of two worlds rests heavily on their shoulders, they are unsure which set of values to follow.

– Many young people feel they must choose between their culture and their future – and they should never have to. They need to understand that they should live according to their own values and goals. They should neither live only to please their parents, nor their teachers. Our task is not to lighten their identity, but to lift the weight.

Sermon Shaba says the majority population in the Nordic countries must also understand that integration is a shared process, not a one-sided demand for adaptation. But in general, he states, immigrants need to be steered towards the Swedish system, where openness and individual opportunities are often greater than in their parents’ home countries.

– The second-generation immigrant youth need to feel they can set goals that are not tied to their parents’ culture. Sometimes migrant parents put demands on their children that would make sense in their former country but not in Sweden.

Creative initiatives as a way to understand one’s own identity

Sermon Shaba says some parents pressure children to pursue prestigious or financially lucrative careers, especially when they see how much more material wealth and opportunities their children have compared to their own childhoods in less wealthy countries.

– But what these young people need instead is less stress, role models, and opportunities to explore their own identity and discover their goals.

This means we must move beyond symbolic youth participation and give young people real power.

– We must let them lead projects, allocate resources, and participate in decision-making. In practice, this could involve funding creative initiatives – such as music, film, photography, storytelling, and social innovation – that allow young people to explore their identity and influence the narrative about integration. It’s also a democratic investment: when youth feel ownership, social trust increases.

Replanting a tree takes patience – it does not take root overnight

Sermon Shaba compares migration to digging up a tree, with roots and all, and planting it in another place. The tree needs time, nurturing soil, and water to take firm root in Swedish ground.

– We need to stop thinking in short project cycles and start creating sustainable ecosystems for inclusion. This requires collaboration between municipalities, civil society, and the private sector. Authorities should also develop policies that promote cultural competence within education, healthcare, and social work.

You call for mentorship programmes, what kinds of mentors are needed?

– Mentors who reflect the diversity of society and serve as role models, having gone through similar experiences and demonstrating that success is possible without losing one’s identity. However, we also need mentors from the majority who are willing to understand and learn from different perspectives. A good mentorship programme is reciprocal – where learning happens both ways.

I ask Sermon Shaba what he hopes to accomplish in his role as an expert in the Nordic Migrant Expert Forum. He returns to his guiding idea: clarity and timeliness.

– Tydligt och tidigt. This is the message I want to communicate to authorities in Sweden and the Nordic countries: we need to act early and communicate clearly. As an expert, I hope to contribute both through my experience and passion by incorporating migrants’ perspectives into Nordic policies. My goal is to help develop a more evidence-based and human-centred approach to integration – a Nordic region where everyone feels welcome and valued.

Read the recommendations from The Nordic Migrant Expert Forum.

Text: Sebastian Dahlström
Photo: Martin Thaulow