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A German village elected a Syrian refugee as its mayor with an absolute majority of 55.41 percent, DPA reported, quoted by BTA.

Riyan Alshebl, a 29-year-old refugee from Syria who arrived in Germany in 2015, ran in the elections in Ostelsheim in the southwestern state of Baden-Württemberg as a non-party candidate.

However, he is a member of the "Greens" party. 

Alcheble described his campaign experience as "mostly positive." 

He left his hometown of Sweida in southern Syria at the age of 21.

For seven years now, the young Syrian has been working in the administration of the nearby Altengstedt town hall.  

Germany opens doors to legal migrants amid labor shortage

According to the Association of Municipalities in Baden-Württemberg, there has so far been no other candidate with Syrian roots for the post of mayor. 

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