In the last decade, €896 million of public funding was channeled through 1,000 contracts to 350 companies involved in the Spanish migration control industry. These companies both run the machinery, and profit from it. How these companies use and exploit the industry will have long-term effects on any sensible, global migration policy.
Explaining the migration control industry
It is extremely difficult to track the total amount spent by the EU on the migration control industry. In 2016, we estimated that at least €17 billion had been spent on border control in the previous two years. But the industry is much broader than that. In Spain, money is spent on four areas:
- Border protection and surveillance
- Detention and expulsion of irregular migrants
- Reception and integration of migrants through temporary and long-term programmes
- Externalisation of migration flow control, through agreements with private organisations and governments in poorer countries.
Recent research from porCausa looked at the first two areas, which make up over 97% of the resources channeled through 943 public contracts. The money mostly comes from different European Union (EU) funds, such as External Borders, Return, Internal Security, and Asylum, Migration and Integration. It also comes from Frontex, and Spanish Government investment, through the co-funding of European funds and the construction of infrastructure.
The most expensive activity seems to be developing technology for border surveillance. Deportation flights also stand out, as does the management of detention centres and temporary reception centers for newly arrived migrants.
