In the past years rural areas had to face several challenges due to the demographic change (age- and gender-selective emigration, shrinking, aging). International migration offers new chances to save the demand of qualified employees in the economy and to maintain public services in these areas. In the big cities the conditions for successful integration are traditionally given. Whereas the intercultural communal life in rural areas is more difficult.

The project “Arrival Regions“ is supported as part of the federal program for transnational cooperation and serves as a preparation for the application of an INTERREG-project in the program region Central Europe. The proposed INTERREG-Project aspires to identify success factors for a social and economic integration of international migrants in rural areas. Moreover it tests practical approaches and works out strategies for communal administration, having the form of a Tool-Box. It aims for showing new methods of how the potential of international immigration in rural areas can be used to deal with the challenges of the demographic development (skill shortage, public service support). Furthermore potentials and barriers of integration should be identified and possibilities of creating and strengthening the local “Welcome Culture” should be determined.