“Making integration work: experiences from Morocco, Turkey and Germany” – this was the theme of the Integration Strategy Group (ISG), a transnational reflection group consisting of approximately twenty German, Moroccan and Turkish participants from different disciplines including politics, administration, civil society, media and research. The ISG is an initiative of the GIZ project “Strengthening selected municipalities in the management of migration”, commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and was implemented in close cooperation with the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF). 

The integration of migrants and refugees is a recurring topic in public debates and has gained in importance over the last years. Politicians, economics, as well as civil society and private sector actors are working together to come up with solutions for the integration of migrants and refugees. Germany, Turkey and Morocco are all faced with the challenge of integrating a substantial number of newcomers. It thus appears all the more important that actors from the three countries exchange ideas and experiences regarding common challenges and potentials, in order to develop innovative solutions. 

The ISG dialogue series pursues precisely this aim: connecting German, Turkish and Moroccan actors, in order to view integration from different perspectives. In 2016, the ISG held three workshops in Berlin, Istanbul and Rabat. During the 2-day workshops, the participants discussed different aspects of integration and shared successful integration practices. Additionally, each meeting was enhanced by inputs from migration and integration experts from the respective countries and by field visits to successful integration initiatives. 
Following the last ISG meeting, ISG’s results were presented during an international conference in Rabat. 

The integration of migrants and refugees into local life is especially important and a challenge in cities and urban neighborhoods dealing with high numbers of newly arriving migrants and refugees. To „ Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable “, an intercultural exchange between migrants and the host community is highly important. By strengthening an exchange of experiences between German, Turkish and Moroccan actors on this topic the Integration Strategy Group contributes to realizing SDG 11.