Gender (in)equality in action in immigration enforcement in spain: the twilight of immigration detention 

Women have consistently constituted a minority within immigration detention centers in Spain. Reports and academic publications have extensively documented the prevailing discrimination and gender inequality within these facilities. Notably, the legislation governing immigration detention centers lacks substantial coverage of women and gender-related issues, except for categorizing women as "vulnerable" groups without proposing specific measures. Nevertheless, the recent surge in arrivals to the Canary Islands, coupled with an increasing number of women and women with children, has begun to reshape the detention landscape in this region. Rather than being sent to immigration detention or deported, women, as they are labeled as "vulnerable”, are directed to more humanitarian and well-equipped facilities. However, within the operation of these facilities, gender stereotypes and roles are mobilized and (re)produced. Our paper analyses the formulation and implementation of policies regulating immigration detention with a focus on their gender implications. We contend that heightened attention to gender inequalities in border and migration control practices is contributing to the reduction of immigration detention for women. Yet, this process relies on the mobilization of very traditional gender roles (victimhood, motherhood, etc.) and stereotypes (trafficked, misled, etc.) by authorities and NGOs, the latter playing an increasingly prominent role in humanitarian centers. Consequently, while these traditional roles function as "protective factors" preventing detention, they concurrently reinforce gender stereotypes, hindering the achievement of genuine gender transformative goals.