Welding a Ship of Determination: Ayman's Path from Syria to Italy
Welding a Ship of Determination: Ayman's Path from Syria to Italy
Ayman Mourad, a 40-year-old Syrian refugee in his new workplace in Milan, Italy, after joining a labor mobility programme in UNHCR Egypt.
In 2018, as war ravaged Syria, Ayman Mourad left everything behind and arrived alone in Cairo, searching for safety and a chance to rebuild his life. By 2020, registered with UNHCR Egypt, he was navigating the uncertainty many refugees face — temporary jobs, financial pressure, and plans put on hold.
A business administration graduate from Damascus University, Ayman understood that rebuilding his future would require new skills. An opportunity came through UNHCR’s labor mobility programme with the Italian firm Orienta, designed to connect skilled refugees with labour shortages in Europe. The position: welder in Milan’s shipyards.
At 40, with no prior hands-on experience in welding, Ayman chose to take the chance. “I had no background in welding — it was completely new to me,” he says. Rather than seeing his age as a limitation, he viewed it as motivation.
Funded by UNHCR and implemented through Don Bosco Technical Institute in Cairo, the training was intensive. From learning arc welding techniques to mastering safety standards, the programme required discipline and persistence. The learning curve was steep, but Ayman remained focused. After completing rigorous exams and interviews, he was selected as one of only two candidates chosen from dozens of applicants.
“The training built me from the ground up,” Ayman explains. “It gave me the confidence that I could adapt and succeed in a new field.”
Today, in Milan’s shipyards, he works on assembling steel components for large vessels, applying the skills he gained in Cairo. He speaks positively about the structured process and support he received throughout the journey.
Through complementary pathways such as labour mobility, UNHCR works with partners to create safe and legal opportunities for refugees to access employment abroad, complementing traditional resettlement. In Egypt, partnerships with companies like Orienta help match qualified refugees with labour market needs, supporting self-reliance while responding to workforce gaps. In 2025 alone, more than 500 individuals benefited from such opportunities, after equipping them with market-relevant vocational trainings and language skills.
Ayman now looks forward to being reunited with his wife and four-year-old son, Omar, who remain in Cairo. His work in Italy represents stability and the possibility of family reunification — an important next step in rebuilding their lives together.
