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Abstract: This paper explores the organizational conditionals that explain why immigrant associations in Spain have access to two basic resources required to develop transnational interventions in the field of co-development, namely access to public funding in the country of residence and contacts with authorities in countries of origin. Using a quantitative dataset obtained from a survey study of Peruvian, Moroccan, Ecuadorian, Colombian and Dominican associations’ leaders conducted in the municipality of Madrid, we are able to analyze the systematic features of associations that correlate with their access to public money and contact with authorities. Spain represents an interesting case study for this analysis because all levels of public administration in this country have systematically used migrant associations as the key actor in defining or implementing integration policies and have cited co-development as an important objective of their policies, linked to immigration control and regulation.
Our analysis indicates that there are certain organizational features in our sample of associations that are systematically linked with an easier access to public funding in destination and contact with authorities in the country of origin. Our conclusions are in line with the expectations generated by the specialized Spanish literature on integration policies since across levels, the Spanish administrations have largely prioritized contacts with immigrant associations to give content to integration objectives and strategies. Although this applies to all migrant organizations (large and small), seniority seems to be relevant to understand why some have benefitted more from this institutional support over longer periods of time. That is, a sort of clientelism may exist between longstanding and well-funded migrant organizations and different levels of government.