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Madrid is adopting a distinctly different direction from many Western nations when it comes to immigration strategies and relations toward the African mainland.

Although states such as the United States, United Kingdom, French Republic and Germany are slashing their foreign assistance funding, Madrid continues dedicated to expanding its involvement, though from a lower starting point.

New Initiatives

This week, the capital city has been welcoming an AU-supported "world conference on individuals with African heritage". The African diaspora summit will explore reparative equity and the establishment of a new development fund.

This demonstrates the latest indication of how Madrid's leadership is working to enhance and broaden its involvement with the continent that lies just a short distance to the southern direction, over the Mediterranean crossing.

Strategic Framework

During summer External Affairs Minister José Manuel Albares established a new advisory council of renowned scholarly, diplomatic and cultural figures, the majority of them of African origin, to monitor the execution of the thorough Spain-Africa strategy that his government unveiled at the conclusion of the previous year.

Additional diplomatic missions below the Sahara desert, and partnerships in business and learning are scheduled.

Movement Regulation

The contrast between Spain's approach and that of others in the West is not just in expenditure but in attitude and mindset – and especially noticeable than in addressing migration.

Like different EU nations, Administration Head the Spanish premier is seeking methods to manage the entry of irregular arrivals.

"For us, the immigration situation is not only a issue of humanitarian values, solidarity and dignity, but also one of reason," the administration head commented.

Over 45,000 people attempted the hazardous maritime passage from the Atlantic African shore to the overseas region of the Canary Islands the previous year. Calculations of those who lost their lives while trying the crossing range between 1,400 to a astonishing 10,460.

Practical Solutions

The Spanish administration has to accommodate fresh migrants, process their claims and handle their incorporation into broader community, whether short-term or more enduring.

However, in terminology markedly different from the adversarial communication that comes from several Western administrations, the Sanchez government publicly recognizes the hard economic realities on the region in the West African region that push people to risk their lives in the effort to reach EU territory.

Furthermore, it attempts to move beyond simply saying "no" to recent entrants. Instead, it is developing creative alternatives, with a promise to foster movements of people that are protected, systematic and regular and "jointly profitable".

Economic Partnerships

On his trip to Mauritania last year, Madrid's representative emphasized the input that foreign workers contribute to the national finances.

The Spanish government funds educational programs for jobless young people in nations including the West African country, particularly for undocumented individuals who have been repatriated, to help them develop sustainable income sources back home.

Additionally, it enlarged a "rotational movement" initiative that provides individuals from West Africa limited-duration authorizations to arrive in the Iberian nation for defined timeframes of temporary employment, mainly in agriculture, and then return.

Strategic Importance

The basic concept underlying Madrid's outreach is that Spain, as the EU member state closest to the continent, has an crucial domestic priority in the continent's advancement toward inclusive and sustainable development, and peace and security.

The core justification might seem obvious.

Nevertheless previous eras had guided Spain down a distinctly separate route.

Apart from a few Maghreb footholds and a small tropical outpost – currently sovereign the Gulf of Guinea country – its colonial expansion in the 1500s and 1600s had mainly been directed toward the Americas.

Prospective Direction

The arts component includes not only advancement of Castilian, with an expanded presence of the Cervantes Institute, but also initiatives to support the mobility of educational instructors and researchers.

Defense collaboration, action on climate change, gender equality and an enhanced consular representation are predictable aspects in today's environment.

Nevertheless, the strategy also places significant emphasis it allocates for assisting democratic values, the African Union and, in specific, the sub-Saharan cooperative body Ecowas.

This will be welcome public encouragement for the latter, which is currently under severe pressure after observing its five-decade milestone spoiled by the walk-out of the Sahel nations – the West African nation, Mali and Niger – whose controlling military regimes have refused to comply with its agreement regarding democratic governance and effective leadership.

Simultaneously, in a statement aimed similarly at Spain's internal population as its African collaborators, the international relations office declared "supporting the African diaspora and the struggle versus discrimination and xenophobia are also key priorities".

Eloquent statements of course are only a initial phase. But in today's sour international climate such terminology really does appear distinctive.