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Spain is charting a markedly separate course from numerous developed states when it comes to migration policies and relations toward the African continent.

Although states such as the United States, UK, France and Federal Republic of Germany are cutting back their international support allocations, Madrid stays focused to enhancing its engagement, though from a modest foundation.

Current Programs

Currently, the Spanish capital has been welcoming an African Union-backed "world conference on persons of African origin". The Madrid African conference will explore reparative equity and the creation of a fresh assistance program.

This represents the newest evidence of how the Spanish administration is seeking to deepen and diversify its engagement with the mainland that sits merely a short distance to the southern direction, over the Mediterranean crossing.

Strategic Framework

In July Foreign Minister Madrid's top envoy launched a recent guidance panel of distinguished academic, foreign service and arts representatives, over 50 percent of them of African origin, to monitor the execution of the detailed Spanish-African initiative that his leadership unveiled at the end of last year.

New embassies below the Sahara desert, and cooperative ventures in enterprise and learning are scheduled.

Immigration Control

The distinction between Spain's approach and that of others in the West is not just in spending but in attitude and outlook – and particularly evident than in addressing migration.

Like other European locations, Administration Head Pedro Sanchez is exploring approaches to control the influx of irregular arrivals.

"For us, the immigration situation is not only a issue of humanitarian values, mutual support and honor, but also one of reason," the prime minister said.

More than 45,000 individuals made the perilous sea crossing from the Atlantic African shore to the island territory of the Canaries recently. Estimates of those who died while undertaking the journey range between 1,400 to a overwhelming 10,460.

Workable Approaches

Madrid's government needs to shelter recent entrants, process their claims and handle their incorporation into larger population, whether transient or more permanent.

Nonetheless, in rhetoric noticeably distinct from the adversarial communication that originates from several Western administrations, the Sanchez government frankly admits the hard economic realities on the region in the West African region that push people to endanger themselves in the endeavor to achieve Europe.

And it is trying to move beyond simply refusing entry to new arrivals. Rather, it is creating innovative options, with a promise to foster human mobility that are secure, organized and standardized and "reciprocally advantageous".

Financial Collaboration

While traveling to Mauritania recently, the Spanish leader highlighted the participation that immigrants contribute to the Iberian economic system.

Spain's leadership finances skill development initiatives for unemployed youth in states like the Senegalese Republic, particularly for irregular migrants who have been returned, to assist them in creating viable new livelihoods back home.

Furthermore, it increased a "cyclical relocation" scheme that provides West Africans temporary permits to arrive in the Iberian nation for restricted durations of seasonal work, mainly in agriculture, and then come home.

Policy Significance

The fundamental premise supporting Madrid's outreach is that Spain, as the EU member state most proximate to the region, has an essential self interest in the continent's advancement toward comprehensive and lasting growth, and stability and safety.

That basic rationale might seem obvious.

Nevertheless the past had directed the Spanish nation down a noticeably unique course.

Apart from a limited Mediterranean outposts and a minor equatorial territory – presently autonomous the Gulf of Guinea country – its territorial acquisition in the 16th and 17th Centuries had primarily been focused overseas.

Forward Vision

The cultural dimension incorporates not only dissemination of the national tongue, with an enhanced representation of the language promotion body, but also programmes to support the transfer of educational instructors and researchers.

Security co-operation, action on climate change, women's empowerment and an expanded diplomatic presence are expected elements in contemporary circumstances.

Nevertheless, the approach also lays very public stress it assigns to assisting democratic values, the continental organization and, in specific, the West African regional organization the Economic Community of West African States.

This represents welcome public encouragement for the latter, which is presently facing significant challenges after witnessing its half-century celebration tainted by the withdrawal of the Sahelian states – Burkina Faso, the West African state and the Sahel territory – whose controlling military regimes have declined to adhere with its standard for political freedom and effective leadership.

Meanwhile, in a communication targeted as much at Spain's internal population as its African collaborators, the foreign ministry declared "supporting the African diaspora and the battle against prejudice and immigrant hostility are also key priorities".

Eloquent statements of course are only a initial phase. But in contemporary pessimistic worldwide environment such terminology really does stand out.