Refugee youth constitute around a third of the refugee population in Germany. We studied the experiences of newly arrived Syrian and Iraqi refugee youth, aged 14 to 18 years (N = 20), in Germany. We utilized semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis to investigate (a) the main challenges faced by youth and (b) their main coping resources to deal with these challenges. We grouped challenges into three levels: the individual level, the immediate social level, and the broader societal level. The most frequently mentioned challenges in our sample related to psychological wellbeing, school, friendship, accommodation, and discrimination. Youth reported relying on social support (friends, family, social services) and on themselves (through avoidance, persistence, activity seeking, active engagement) to cope with their challenges. Our findings provide insights into refugee youth’s experiences in Germany, encompassing the acculturative, developmental, and generational aspects of their lives and demonstrating their coping and resilience. We discuss our results in relation to the literature on refugee youth in high income countries.

难民青年约占德国难民人口的三分之一。我们研究了 14 至 18 岁（N = 20)，在德国。我们利用半结构化访谈和主题分析来调查 (a) 青年面临的主要挑战和 (b) 他们应对这些挑战的主要应对资源。我们将挑战分为三个层次：个人层次、直接社会层次和更广泛的社会层次。我们样本中最常提到的挑战与心理健康、学校、友谊、住宿和歧视有关。青年报告说依靠社会支持（朋友、家人、社会服务）和自己（通过回避、坚持、寻求活动、积极参与）来应对挑战。我们的研究结果深入了解难民青年在德国的经历，包括文化适应、发展、和他们生活的代际方面，并展示他们的应对和适应能力。我们讨论了与高收入国家难民青年的文献相关的结果。