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Spain is charting a markedly separate path from numerous developed states when it comes to immigration strategies and cooperation with the African mainland.

Although states such as the USA, UK, France and Germany are reducing their foreign assistance funding, Spain continues dedicated to increasing its participation, even from a reduced baseline.

Recent Developments

This week, the capital city has been welcoming an African Union-backed "world conference on individuals with African heritage". The Madrid African conference will discuss restorative justice and the establishment of a innovative support mechanism.

This demonstrates the latest indication of how the Spanish administration is seeking to deepen and broaden its involvement with the continent that lies just a few kilometres to the south, across the Straits of Gibraltar.

Policy Structure

This past summer Foreign Minister the Spanish diplomat initiated a recent guidance panel of prominent intellectual, international relations and heritage experts, the majority of them of African origin, to supervise the delivery of the thorough Spanish-African initiative that his government published at the close of the prior year.

Fresh consular offices below the Sahara desert, and collaborations in business and education are arranged.

Immigration Control

The distinction between Madrid's strategy and that of other Western nations is not just in expenditure but in attitude and philosophy – and nowhere more so than in handling immigration.

Comparable with other European locations, Prime Minister the Spanish premier is exploring approaches to manage the influx of irregular arrivals.

"From our perspective, the movement dynamic is not only a question of moral principles, unity and dignity, but also one of logic," the government leader commented.

More than 45,000 individuals undertook the dangerous ocean journey from West African coastline to the island territory of the Canary Islands recently. Estimates of those who perished while making the attempt extend from 1,400 to a astonishing 10,460.

Practical Solutions

Madrid's government must house fresh migrants, review their cases and manage their absorption into wider society, whether temporary or more enduring.

Nonetheless, in rhetoric distinctly separate from the confrontational statements that comes from several Western administrations, the Sanchez government openly acknowledges the difficult financial circumstances on the region in the West African region that compel individuals to endanger themselves in the attempt to attain EU territory.

And it is trying to exceed simply refusing entry to recent entrants. Rather, it is designing original solutions, with a commitment to foster movements of people that are protected, systematic and regular and "reciprocally advantageous".

Financial Collaboration

While traveling to Mauritania recently, the Spanish leader stressed the input that migrants contribute to the Iberian economic system.

Spain's leadership funds educational programs for unemployed youth in countries such as the Senegalese Republic, especially for irregular migrants who have been sent back, to help them develop workable employment options back home.

And it has expanded a "cyclical relocation" programme that provides persons from the region temporary permits to arrive in the Iberian nation for restricted durations of temporary employment, mainly in agriculture, and then come home.

Geopolitical Relevance

The core principle supporting Madrid's outreach is that the Iberian nation, as the EU member state nearest to the mainland, has an essential self interest in the region's development toward inclusive and sustainable development, and tranquility and protection.

The core justification might seem obvious.

Yet of course the past had directed the Iberian state down a distinctly separate route.

Other than a several North African presences and a minor equatorial territory – today's independent the Gulf of Guinea country – its imperial growth in the 1500s and 1600s had primarily been focused toward the Americas.

Future Outlook

The cultural dimension encompasses not only advancement of Castilian, with an expanded presence of the language promotion body, but also schemes to help the mobility of academic teachers and scholars.

Defense collaboration, measures regarding environmental shifts, female advancement and an expanded diplomatic presence are unsurprising components in contemporary circumstances.

However, the approach also places significant emphasis it allocates for backing democratic principles, the continental organization and, in especial, the West African regional organization the Economic Community of West African States.

This will be welcome public encouragement for the organization, which is now experiencing substantial difficulties after witnessing its half-century celebration tainted by the walk-out of the Sahelian states – the West African nation, Mali and the Sahel territory – whose controlling military regimes have chosen not to follow with its protocol on democracy and proper administration.

Meanwhile, in a message targeted as much at the national citizenry as its sub-Saharan partners, the external affairs department said "assisting the African community abroad and the fight against racism and xenophobia are also essential focuses".

Eloquent statements of course are only a first step. But in today's sour international climate such discourse really does distinguish itself.