The integration of incoming migrants and assisting their more prolonged stay remains high on the agenda in Regensburg and the respective district, while relevant data available to policymakers is still limited, especially across the district. These are the most important messages the IOS YOUMIG team received during a recent meeting with Maria Scharfenberger, deputy District Administrator.

During her visit on February 7, Mrs. Scharfenberg shared with the team some good practices already implemented across local communities in the district, including extensive efforts to reach even the younger age groups of migrants, through schools and vocational training programs. Mrs. Scharfenberg voiced the interest of local small and middle-size enterprises to attract qualified local and migrant youth. She also stated a visible beneficial effect on local development caused by the implementation of governmental programmes targeting individual entrepreneurs with a migratory background. However, raising awareness to the positive consequences of immigration would still be necessary, she added.

Another issue Mrs. Scharfenberg pointed out is that some local mayors might be hesitant to implement more immigration-friendly policies due to an often unfounded fear of criticism from the population. The limited availability of housing and transportation options are other most urgent topics to address. 

Mrs. Scharfenberg mentioned a need for improved communication, and in particular, data collection and exchange between local authorities. She noted that there is a lack of information on migration processes in small towns and rural areas, and that the creation of a comprehensive system of indicators to track and describe migratory flows in detail at communal level is key for evidence-based policymaking. Such enhancements are expected to facilitate the access of migrants to work across the district, and provide a base for the planning of urban (and rural) facilities and services. Much of the research and policy-assisting activities of the YOUMIG project are geared towards filling these gaps.