One-Stop-Shops: Coordinating integration from day one

The negotiations for the next Multiannual Financial Framework are picking up speed. Meanwhile, integration risks quietly disappearing from the EU agenda. The Action Plan on Integration and Inclusion ends in 2027, yet a new framework is nowhere in sight.

This is particularly concerning when it comes to labour migration. Quick access to essential services and support networks is key to successful integration. When people are unable to access information and receive support, the consequences can be dire: working in jobs below their qualification, struggling to receive health care or find housing, and becoming isolated from wider community life. 

When issues start piling up, they become costlier over time, both for individuals and public services. In addition, the lack of joint coordination often leads to duplication of work among service providers, gaps in support and unnecessary pressure on already stretched services.

In the second part of our series “Promising Practices in Migration Policy”, Dirk Gebhardt and Bella Kosmala therefore look at one concrete answer to that challenge: One-Stop-Shops providing coordinated integration support from day one. 

Drawing on examples from cities across Europe — including Düsseldorf, Stockholm, and Oulu — the report shows how bringing together services provided by public authorities and civil society organisations within a coordinated framework helps newcomers navigate a fragmented system, reduces duplication for service providers, and allows cities to work more efficiently and spot emerging needs earlier.

The paper is available in English below. The German version can be found here.