Mahmood - Electrical Shop

Mahmood left Iraq to pursue a better future in Europe. He had trouble keeping a job and combined with the ongoing armed conflict he decided to leave Iraq. He arrived in 2015 and applied for asylum. After being in Belgium for quite some time, he realized that integrating into the country was not as straightforward as expected. After receiving a negative asylum decision he decided to contact IOM and return to Baghdad.

Upon his arrival in Baghdad, he met with IOM staff to discuss his reintegration. He explained to them his willingness to open a shop that sells electrical and wiring material. Mahmood has previous experience in this field and believed it would be an attractive shop for possible customers. Before starting his business he established a business plan together with his reintegration counsellors in Iraq. By doing so he mapped the competition, how he would diversify himself and place him on the market. He provided IOM with all necessary documents including the invoices and a lease agreement (ownership document) and was ready to start. A few months later his business was started successfully and he is happy with the achievements he was able to make so far. Furthermore, he is planning to take extra courses to further innovate his business and keep his competitive position in the labor market.