German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s weekly video message on Saturday urged refugee women arriving in Germany to learn the language and make new contacts. She said that refugee women “have often experienced terrible things and are also traumatized” upon entering Europe.

She advised the women who come to Germany to consider learning the language with their children. Merkel warned that the women “shouldn’t be scared off” by the fact that their children may speak better German as a result of going to school. Rather than “curl up and just live and work in the community they know” they should try to get out too.