The nexus of migration management and public accountability: Türkiye and Spain compared

The Arab Spring caused an overpopulation of migration flows and stocks toward Western European states. Such a major human movement led to a political crisis in European states due to the lack of effective migration regulations in destination and transit states. Instead of providing regulations to govern the movement, European governments took control-oriented migration steps. The Mediterranean has become the primary path for migrants. In this regard, Türkiye and Spain have surfaced as the countries playing a significant role in receiving migration flows and stocks. Through a comparative perspective, this study explores how accountability has been considered in evaluating governments' performance in response to migration trends in the two countries. Relations between central and sub-national unit governments are examined. The findings, supported by the interviews conducted in Türkiye and Spain, indicate two migration management models, with differing accountability levels, emerging in the Mediterranean.