Compliance with the International Gender Framework in Maritime Mixed Migration Interception and Rescue Operations: The Case of Spain in a European Context

Abstract

Women make up around 10% of those arriving irregularly to Spain through mixed migration by sea. For its part, Spain has carried out an extensive overhaul of regulations relating to gender. This national framework has not only been driven by social changes but is largely due to international obligations and commitments arising from the Convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women, the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, the UN Women, Peace and Security Agenda, and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.Taking these factors as a basis, this article focuses on an analysis of the extent to which Spain is complying with these international obligations and commitments on gender in cases of rescue or interception operations at sea involving mixed migration in a European context. Information from current international and national monitoring and follow-up mechanisms is used for this evaluation. Following this, problems and obstacles hampering compliance are identified, and potential changes and improvements are proposed.

Keywords

• mixed migration
• gender
• sea rescue
• interception
• spain
• european union