Between Protection and “Profit”: The Role of Civil Society Organizations in the Migrant Reception Markets in Spain

Spanish reception policies for irregular immigrants and asylum seekers have become a political arena in which an increasing number of private actors, such as civil society organizations, are involved. Since the 1990s, Spain has developed a “joint management” formula, sometimes defined as a “collaboration model,” in which agreements with the third sector are leveraged to implement reception practices and policies aimed at providing assistance for vulnerable immigrants. This policy model has shaped negotiations and agreements between the state and civil society that have resulted in a “concerted action,” but also fueled an intense debate regarding the levels of collaboration, coopting and (in)dependence of these organizations. The debate has focused on the heavy reliance of many civil associations on public funds and on how this dependency limits their ability to oppose these policies and their accountability.