Helping Cities Improve Integration Post-Immigration Surge

by | Jun 18, 2025 | Uncategorized | 0 comments

With over 20 years of leadership in strategic integration planning, Karat Communications has worked in the U.S. & abroad to help build the capacity of city, state, regional and national leaders navigate refugee integration challenges. As immigration surges strain communities across the U.S. and globally, our expertise in multi-cultural facilitation and conflict resolution offers a proven, scalable vision to foster social cohesion. This article highlights the urgent need for innovative solutions and showcases our approach to addressing demographic shifts worldwide.

Mass Immigration Welcomed

Between 2021 and 2023, the United States (U.S.) and the European Union (EU) faced unprecedented immigration surges, testing integration capacities. In the U.S., Texas reported 1,058,614 border encounters in 2023, a 45.2% increase from 728,971 in 2021, while California saw 680,763 encounters, up 36.7% from 498,062; globally, the EU’s non-EU27 immigration rose from 1,973,144 in 2020 to 4,349,013 in 2023, a 120.4% surge, with Malta at 271.4%. Driven by policy shifts rather than traditional factors, these inflows left agencies unprepared. What happens when immigration exceeds institutional capacity? How do local cities and provinces accommodate more residents than infrastructure supports, affecting culture, identity, social cohesion, and resources?

Mass Integration Denied

Media reports cannot help but reveal these surges overwhelm U.S. and national systems across the West, straining resources and threatening cultural cohesion amid economic pressures. In the U.S. from 2020 – 2023, Arizona’s 63.1% rise in border encounters stretched housing and schools, while New York’s 50% migrant increase (from 40,000 to 60,000) strained shelters; globally, Malta’s 271.4% rise overwhelmed schools and healthcare. Smaller U.S. towns felt the impact: Chicago housed 40,000+ migrants since 2022, costing $150 million; Denver saw 30,000, raising school enrollment by 10%; Boston sheltered 11,000, upping enrollment by 12%; and Springfield, Ohio, managed 12,000–15,000 Haitian immigrants, spending $50,000 monthly on translations.

 

In response, when it came to mass integration planning, the EU’s 2021–2027 Action Plan, targeting 27.3 million non-EU citizens is still in development and lacks local execution. In the U.S., while a few states with strong executive leadership like Florida deployed robust ad-hoc measures, the lack of national planning, left communities vulnerable nationwide.

The Looming Threat

Without strategic integration, tensions between citizens and newcomers, rival groups, law enforcement, and governments may escalate, risking unrest. Delayed action amplifies this threat, necessitating immediate solutions as plans emerge.

Discussion of Needs and Best Practices

U.S. and global governments face challenges from immigration surges, including cultural clashes and resource shortages. In the U.S., Texas’ 45.2% rise (2021–2023) caused housing crises, while Malta’s 271.4% increase (2020–2023) overwhelmed healthcare; newcomers lack language skills, hindering inclusion, and communities fear identity loss. Karat Communications’ best practice model—strategic integration planning, multi-cultural facilitation, and cross-cultural communication—addresses these through cultural diplomacy and social cohesion. Our proven approach, featuring dialogue facilitation and civic participation, offers scalable solutions, as seen in Lisbon’s 2023 MigraMyths struggles.

Karat Communications Solution

Karat Communications provides immigration integration consulting for governments, offering strategic integration planning, community relations, and crisis communications to enhance social cohesion. With 15+ years engaging diverse communities—refugees, asylees, and religious groups—we deliver on-site support and workshops, leveraging a Graduate Certificate in diplomacy and conflict resolution. Our method unites stakeholders via dialogue, addressing challenges and supporting U.S. and international governments. Explore our Government Community Relations and Leadership Communications services.

Experience in Action: Mehmanistan

Imagine a tiny province, spanning just 3.6 km² (1.4 miles), that has endured a 116% immigration surge over the past decade following a five-year surge of 129%. Residents drive without licenses, unaware of traffic laws, often opting to navigate streets by veering onto grass, while families cook with small grills indoors, oblivious to building codes and fire hazards; meanwhile, businesses open without permits in makeshift structures, restaurants emerge in apartment homes, and with limited employment or language access, people gather everywhere throughout the day. Housing, public transportation, and utilities like sewer and water were unprepared for this influx, leaving law enforcement stretched thin and unable to cope, while the small local grocer struggles as most new residents lack cars, and the community—unplanned for foot traffic—offers no outdoor spaces for children to socialize or play.

Though the name and a few details have been altered, such places exist and reflect the diverse contexts where Karat Communications excels. This community benefited from our consulting services, as our experts collaborated with city leadership, law enforcement, refugee placement agencies, leaders from diverse immigrant and refugee groups, the business community, religious leaders, and school systems to develop a series of strategic planning sessions, community dialogues, and working groups, successfully securing state and federal resources to tackle major issues. Where external support was unavailable, we established collaborative work groups to conduct structured strategic problem-solving sessions, yielding bespoke solutions tailored to the community’s needs.

Additionally, where cultural sensitivity is essential, our on-site workshops and trainings delivered valuable insights and skills, enabling officials and law enforcement to better serve these communities.

While supporting leaders in their roles, our work places even greater emphasis on inspiring and instilling the importance of civic dialogue and participation, recognized as the cornerstone of every effective integration strategy. As immigrant groups often self-isolate, gaining their trust to introduce the practice and benefits of civic engagement in the United States becomes crucial.

In contexts of sudden mass immigration, new residents frequently hail from nations where civic participation was not a reality and trust in government is low. Our methodology effectively addresses these barriers, building public trust and enhancing integration.

How Karat Operates: Our Best Practice Model

  • Conduct situational analysis of stakeholders, locations, and outcomes.
  • Address cultural, language, and resource limitations via cross-cultural communication.
  • Select methodologies with structure and roles using dialogue facilitation.
    • Hint I: Inclusive processes with timelines ensure success.
    • Hint II: Capacity drives solutions; community participation is key.
  • Assess skills and resources.
  • Train staff and marshal resources.

Every moment of delay matters. Governments that neglect integration planning amid surging immigration not only hurt their legacy, they risk damaging the social cohesion, economy, and well-being of every citizen under their care. Explore our Immigration and Integration Consulting services by contacting us today.

Contact Us

Sources:

Web Sources (URLs)

  1. Web ID 0: Malta: Integration strategy and action plan 2025 – 2030

   URL: https://migrant-integration.ec.europa.eu/news/malta-integration-strategy-and-action-plan-2025-2030

  1. Web ID 1: Governance of migrant integration in Malta

   URL: https://migrant-integration.ec.europa.eu/country-governance/governance-migrant-integration-malta

  1. Web ID 2: Migrant integration in Malta (European Commission)

   URL: https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/migrant-integration-malta_en

  1. Web ID 3: Migration to Malta: Challenges and Opportunities

   URL: https://borgenproject.org/migration-to-malta-challenges-and-opportunities/

  1. Web ID 4: Malta: Integration strategy and action plan 2025 – 2030 (European Commission)

   URL: https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/news/malta-integration-strategy-and-action-plan-2025-2030

  1. Web ID 5: Learning from Malta’s example for refugee and migrant health

   URL: https://www.who.int/news-room/feature-stories/detail/learning-from-malta-s-example-for-refugee-and-migrant-health

  1. Web ID 6: Migrant integration in Malta (European Commission, duplicate of web ID 2)

   URL: https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/migrant-integration-malta_en

  1. Web ID 7: Working together: a UNHCR report on the employment of refugees and asylum seekers in Malta

   URL: https://migrant-integration.ec.europa.eu/library-document/working-together-unhcr-report-employment-refugees-and-asylum-seekers-malta

  1. Web ID 8: Immigration to Malta – Wikipedia

   URL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immigration_to_Malta 

   (Note: Published in 2017, outside the 2019–2025 range, but included for completeness.)

  1. Web ID 9: Human rights in Malta – Amnesty International

    URL: https://www.amnesty.org/en/location/europe-and-central-asia/malta/report-malta/

  1. Web ID 10: 10 Shocking Facts About Refugees in Malta

    URL: https://borgenproject.org/ten-facts-about-refugees-in-malta/ 

    (Note: Published in 2017, outside the 2019–2025 range, but included for completeness.)

  1. Web ID 11: Figures at a Glance – UNHCR Malta

    URL: https://www.unhcr.org/figures-glance-unhcr-malta

  1. Web ID 12: Access to the territory and push backs – Asylum Information Database

    URL: https://asylumineurope.org/reports/country/malta/access-territory-and-push-backs/

  1. Web ID 13: Active Civic Participation of Immigrants in Malta

    URL: https://migrant-integration.ec.europa.eu/library-document/active-civic-participation-immigrants-malta

  1. Web ID 14: Building a new life – the challenges, hopes and trajectories of migrant women living in Malta

    URL: https://migrant-integration.ec.europa.eu/library-document/building-new-life-challenges-hopes-and-trajectories-migrant-women-living-malta

  1. Web ID 15: Overview of the main changes since the previous report update – Asylum Information Database

    URL: https://asylumineurope.org/reports/country/malta/overview-main-changes-previous-report-update/

  1. Web ID 16: Education and Ethnic Minorities in Malta

    URL: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228208233_Education_and_Ethnic_Minorities_in_Malta 

    (Note: Published in 2009, outside the 2019–2025 range, but included for completeness.)

  1. Web ID 17: Malta | UNHCR US

    URL: https://www.unhcr.org/us/malta

  1. Web ID 18: Malta | UNHCR

    URL: https://www.unhcr.org/malta

  1. Web ID 19: Immigration in Malta: Integration through Education

    URL: https://migrant-integration.ec.europa.eu/library-document/immigration-malta-integration-through-education

  1. Web ID 20: Somali in Malta people group profile | Joshua Project

    URL: https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/14983/MT

  1. Web ID 21: Researcher in Malta – European Commission

    URL: https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/researcher-malta_en

  1. Web ID 22: Coe

    URL: https://rm.coe.int/ 

    (Note: Content unavailable, but included for completeness.)

  1. Web ID 23: Malta’s Foreign Policy in the 1990s | SpringerLink

    URL: https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-349-27091-0_7 

    (Note: Published in 1999, outside the 2019–2025 range, but included for completeness.)

  1. Web ID 24: A way forward for a National Integration Policy in Malta | Carla Camilleri – Academia.edu

    URL: https://www.academia.edu/12148876/A_way_forward_for_a_National_Integration_Policy_in_Malta (Note: Published in 2013, outside the 2019–2025 range, but included for completeness.)

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *