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Madrid is adopting a noticeably unique path from many Western nations when it comes to immigration strategies and relations toward the African continent.

While states such as the United States, Britain, French Republic and Federal Republic of Germany are cutting back their development aid budgets, Madrid remains committed to increasing its engagement, though from a modest foundation.

Current Programs

Currently, the capital city has been accommodating an continent-endorsed "international gathering on people of African descent". The Madrid African conference will examine reparative equity and the creation of a fresh assistance program.

This represents the latest indication of how Spain's socialist-led government is seeking to deepen and expand its cooperation with the mainland that lies just a brief span to the south, beyond the Gibraltar passage.

Policy Structure

This past summer Foreign Minister the Spanish diplomat launched a fresh consultative body of renowned scholarly, diplomatic and heritage experts, over 50 percent of them of African origin, to supervise the delivery of the comprehensive Spanish-African initiative that his administration unveiled at the conclusion of the previous year.

New embassies below the Sahara desert, and partnerships in business and academic are scheduled.

Immigration Control

The contrast between Madrid's strategy and that of others in the West is not just in funding but in attitude and outlook – and especially noticeable than in handling migration.

Comparable with different EU nations, Administration Head Pedro Sanchez is looking for ways to contain the influx of undocumented migrants.

"In our view, the movement dynamic is not only a matter of ethical standards, unity and honor, but also one of logic," the prime minister stated.

Over 45,000 individuals undertook the dangerous ocean journey from the Atlantic African shore to the Spanish archipelago of the Atlantic islands recently. Approximations of those who perished while making the attempt range between 1,400 to a astonishing 10,460.

Effective Measures

Madrid's government must house new arrivals, evaluate their applications and manage their absorption into broader community, whether short-term or more long-lasting.

Nevertheless, in terminology markedly different from the confrontational statements that comes from numerous EU governments, the Sanchez government openly acknowledges the hard economic realities on the ground in the West African region that push people to endanger themselves in the effort to reach Europe.

Additionally, it strives to move beyond simply saying "no" to recent entrants. Instead, it is developing creative alternatives, with a commitment to encourage population flows that are safe, organized and routine and "reciprocally advantageous".

Commercial Cooperation

During his visit to the West African nation recently, Sanchez stressed the participation that migrants contribute to the Iberian economic system.

The Spanish government funds training schemes for unemployed youth in nations including the West African country, particularly for irregular migrants who have been returned, to assist them in creating sustainable income sources back home.

Furthermore, it increased a "cyclical relocation" programme that provides individuals from West Africa short-term visas to arrive in the Iberian nation for defined timeframes of periodic labor, mostly in cultivation, and then come home.

Geopolitical Relevance

The fundamental premise guiding Spain's engagement is that the European country, as the continental nation most proximate to the region, has an essential self interest in Africa's progress toward equitable and enduring progress, and stability and safety.

This fundamental reasoning might seem evident.

However previous eras had guided Spain down a noticeably unique course.

Apart from a few Maghreb footholds and a compact tropical possession – today's independent the Central African nation – its imperial growth in the historical period had primarily been focused overseas.

Forward Vision

The cultural dimension includes not only promotion of the Spanish language, with an enhanced representation of the language promotion body, but also schemes to assist the mobility of educational instructors and scholars.

Security co-operation, initiatives concerning global warming, gender equality and an enhanced consular representation are unsurprising components in contemporary circumstances.

Nevertheless, the strategy also puts notable focus it allocates for supporting democratic ideas, the African Union and, in specific, the regional West African group the Economic Community of West African States.

This constitutes positive official support for the latter, which is presently facing significant challenges after witnessing its half-century celebration marred by the departure of the desert region countries – the Sahel country, the West African state and the Nigerien Republic – whose ruling military juntas have refused to comply with its protocol on democracy and effective leadership.

Concurrently, in a communication aimed similarly at Spain's internal population as its continental allies, the international relations office said "helping persons of African origin and the fight against racism and xenophobia are also essential focuses".

Fine words of course are only a first step. But in the current negative global atmosphere such discourse really does distinguish itself.