What Local Authorities Can Learn from the Integreat Study – Practical Implications for Cities and Districts

In one of our recent blog posts, we presented the findings of the study Information on Integration: Administrative Offerings & Immigrant Engagement by Samir Khalil. The research is based on over 11 million interactions on Integreat across more than 100 German local authorities and highlights which types of content play a particularly important role in how the platform is used.

This post builds on that: What conclusions can towns and districts draw from this? And what measures will ensure that digital information for immigrants really makes a difference in their everyday lives?

What the study shows – in a nutshell

The study makes it clear that:

• Integreat is used primarily when topics offer direct practical benefits in everyday life.
• Areas such as housing, finding your way around in everyday life, dealing with public authorities, transport and general information for newcomers are particularly relevant.
• The timeliness and completeness of the content have a major impact on usage and satisfaction.

So it is not just a question of whether information is available – but of how clear, comprehensive and practical it is.

What local authorities can take away from this in practical terms

1. Enhancing depth of content: don’t just list information, explain it

The study shows that users are looking for guidance, not just collections of links.

That’s why it’s worth presenting content in a specific, practical and step-by-step manner.

Example: Housing:

Instead of just linking to portals → explain how to recognise a property listing, what documents are required, how viewings work, and what a tenancy agreement covers.

Example: Public authorities:

Instead of just listing opening hours → “What do I need to bring with me? How does the appointment work? What happens afterwards?”.

The more specific, the more helpful.

2. Cover all subject areas comprehensively

The study shows that visitor numbers rise significantly as soon as topics are presented in a comprehensive and accessible manner.

For local authorities, this means:

• Organise topics (e.g. ‘Housing’, ‘Health’, ‘Work’, ‘Leisure’)
• Add sub-sections that are frequently requested
• Identify and expand on missing aspects

A good guide is to ask yourself:

‘Could someone with no prior knowledge find their way around easily using our content?’

If not → provide further details.

3. Ensuring up-to-date information — embedding care as a standard process

The study highlights just how much up-to-date information affects the quality of the service. Information quickly becomes out of date – new regulations, new forms, different opening hours.

Recommendation for local authorities:

• Clearly define responsibilities
• Establish fixed review cycles (e.g. quarterly)
• Implement changes consistently

In this way, Integreat remains a reliable point of reference.

4. Making Integreat visible — wherever questions arise

The more closely the app is integrated into advisory and administrative processes, the more people will use it.

Specific areas for action:

• Highlight it during registration/initial consultation
• Provide a brief introduction to it in integration courses
• Display it prominently in accommodation facilities and advice centres
• Involve volunteers and social workers

The important thing is that Integreat is used when people know that it supports them.

5. Using feedback to identify gaps

Feedback from the field is a valuable way of continuously improving content and identifying needs at an early stage.

Possible approaches:

• brief feedback questions during the counselling session (“What would you have liked?”)
• Discussions with volunteers, social services organisations and migration advisory boards
• Link to a simple survey via the app

This creates a learning cycle — content continues to evolve in line with real-world needs.

Conclusion

The Integreat study clearly shows that:

Relevant, comprehensive and up-to-date content is key to effective digital integration.

Local authorities actively shape this impact when they:

• Cover topics comprehensively,
• present information in a practical way,
• ensure it is up to date,
• integrate Integreat into processes in a targeted manner,
• and respond to feedback.

In this way, Integreat provides real added value for new arrivals – whilst at the same time serving as a tool that takes the strain off administrative and advisory services.