Highly-skilled migrants and»Internationals« A range of European cities have created one-stop shops that explicitly target the most qualified tier of newcomers in so-called»expat desks« and international welcome cen­tres. 1 While they usually do not formally exclude people with other profiles, they do so de facto through their branding, the use of English as a working language and the services offered(relocation assistance, tax advice, edu­cation, spouse career support, and so on). The partnerships behind these one-stop shops are also specific and often in­volve international employers and chambers of commerce. Barcelona, for instance, hosts an International Welcome Centre for highly skilled newcomers in addition to its»gen­eral« one-stop shop SAIER. While both services provide in­tegration support, they are based on different assumptions with regard to their target groups’ needs and capacities. Such dual structures are problematic from an equality and social justice point of view. The International Houses in Finnish cities and Hamburg’s Welcome Centre have found a way to overcome this contradiction by addressing differ­ent user profiles related to labour market integration under one roof. They thereby also reflect the fact that cities need a broad range of skills that go beyond university degrees. Examples of promising practices in Europe Düsseldorf’s Welcome Points Düsseldorf’s Welcome Points are notable for combining NGO-led delivery with strong city-wide coordination. The model also stands out for its community-­based approach: rather than functioning only as migrant advice centres, the Welcome Points operate as neighbourhood hubs open to all residents. Their work is guided by principles of low-­threshold access, empowerment and»working with, not for, people«. Structure Düsseldorf’s Welcome Points were first established in 2015 in response to increased refugee arrivals. Today, the model consists of seven locally embedded one-stop-shops, six op­erated by NGOs and one by the municipality, all funded by the city and coordinated centrally through the Office for Migration and Integration. The evolution from a refugee-focused neighbourhood ser­vice into a broader community-based approach open to all residents was shaped both by evaluation and participatory review processes, and by wider political and budgetary changes affecting integration services. In 2023, the city for ­mally repositioned the Welcome Points as»Urban Centres for Intercultural Coexistence«. Funding The Welcome Points are funded by the City of Düsseldorf. Budget cuts in 2023 led to the closure of four centres and reinforced the shift towards a more consolidated and com­munity-based model. Target group The Welcome Points are open to all residents, but focus particularly on people with migration and refugee back­grounds and residents facing social vulnerability. Loca­tions are selected using»social sphere«(Sozialraum) anal­ysis, based on city data such as income, housing condi­tions, age, ethnicity and access to services. Key services offered All Welcome Points provide: → low-threshold counselling and referral to specialised services; → support with filling in forms; → language learning; → employment, housing and education support; → community activities and volunteering opportunities. Beyond this, each site has flexibility to adapt its offer to lo­cal needs, often including community-based activities such as tutoring, women’s groups, cultural initiatives and neigh­bourhood events. In this way, Welcome Points function not only as access points to services, but also as spaces for participation, connection and local action. Positive outcomes and key challenges The Welcome Points provide a clear and accessible entry point into services and strengthen links between local com­munities and the city administration. A 2021 evaluation found that they played an important role in social integration, re­ducing isolation and supporting access to employment, hous­ing and education. In 2020, the Welcome Points recorded over 18,000 participants in counselling and group activities, around 23,000 participants including food and clothing distri ­bution and 143 network partners across the city. Key challenges include demonstrating long-term impact, maintaining stable funding, recruiting volunteers and bal­ancing consistency across sites with flexibility to respond to local needs. The Portuguese network of Local Support Centres for the Integration of Migrants(CLAIM) Set up in 2003, the Portuguese Support Centres for Migrant Integration(CLAIM) form the longest-running nationally co­ordinated network of local one-stop shops. The 150 CLAIM were initially complemented with three»National One-Stop 1  Examples include Barcelona’s International Welcome Desk, Copenhagen’s International House, the Utrecht International Centre, Bologna’s Talent Welcome Desk and the Brno Expat Centre. One-stop-shops: coordinating integration from day one 6