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Madrid is adopting a markedly separate direction from several Western nations when it comes to movement regulations and relations toward the African mainland.

Although nations including the USA, UK, France and Federal Republic of Germany are cutting back their international support allocations, Spain remains committed to increasing its engagement, albeit from a lower starting point.

Recent Developments

This week, the Madrid has been welcoming an AU-supported "global summit on persons of African origin". The African diaspora summit will examine reparative equity and the establishment of a new development fund.

This constitutes the newest evidence of how the Spanish administration is working to enhance and expand its cooperation with the mainland that rests only a brief span to the southern direction, beyond the Gibraltar passage.

Policy Structure

During summer Foreign Minister the Spanish diplomat launched a recent guidance panel of distinguished academic, international relations and arts representatives, over 50 percent of them African, to supervise the delivery of the comprehensive Spain-Africa strategy that his government released at the end of last year.

Fresh consular offices south of the Sahara, and collaborations in business and education are planned.

Immigration Control

The difference between the Spanish method and that of other Western nations is not just in expenditure but in attitude and philosophy – and especially noticeable than in handling population movement.

Similar to other European locations, Prime Minister the Spanish premier is looking for ways to contain the entry of unauthorized entrants.

"From our perspective, the migratory phenomenon is not only a matter of ethical standards, unity and respect, but also one of reason," the administration head commented.

Over 45,000 persons undertook the dangerous ocean journey from West African coastline to the overseas region of the Canaries the previous year. Estimates of those who died while undertaking the journey range between 1,400 to a astonishing 10,460.

Practical Solutions

Spain's leadership needs to shelter fresh migrants, evaluate their applications and oversee their integration into broader community, whether short-term or more long-lasting.

Nevertheless, in language noticeably distinct from the adversarial communication that originates from many European capitals, the Spanish administration publicly recognizes the difficult financial circumstances on the territory in Western Africa that push people to endanger themselves in the effort to reach EU territory.

Furthermore, it attempts to move beyond simply refusing entry to new arrivals. Conversely, it is creating innovative options, with a promise to encourage human mobility that are protected, organized and standardized and "jointly profitable".

Economic Partnerships

During his visit to Mauritania last year, Sanchez highlighted the input that foreign workers make to the Iberian economic system.

Spain's leadership funds educational programs for jobless young people in nations including Senegal, notably for undocumented individuals who have been returned, to assist them in creating workable employment options in their homeland.

And it has expanded a "cyclical relocation" initiative that gives persons from the region limited-duration authorizations to arrive in the Iberian nation for defined timeframes of seasonal work, mostly in cultivation, and then return.

Strategic Importance

The fundamental premise supporting the Spanish approach is that Spain, as the EU member state nearest to the region, has an vital national concern in the region's development toward equitable and enduring progress, and stability and safety.

The core justification might seem evident.

Nevertheless previous eras had guided the Iberian state down a noticeably unique course.

Apart from a few Maghreb footholds and a minor equatorial territory – presently autonomous Equatorial Guinea – its imperial growth in the historical period had mainly been directed toward the Americas.

Prospective Direction

The heritage aspect includes not only advancement of Castilian, with an increased footprint of the Cervantes Institute, but also initiatives to help the mobility of academic teachers and investigators.

Protection partnership, action on climate change, women's empowerment and an enhanced consular representation are expected elements in contemporary circumstances.

However, the plan also lays very public stress it allocates for backing democratic principles, the pan-African body and, in particular, the sub-Saharan cooperative body Ecowas.

This will be welcome public encouragement for the latter, which is now experiencing substantial difficulties after observing its five-decade milestone tainted by the departure of the desert region countries – Burkina Faso, the Malian Republic and the Sahel territory – whose controlling military regimes have declined to adhere with its agreement regarding democratic governance and effective leadership.

Meanwhile, in a communication directed equally toward the national citizenry as its sub-Saharan partners, the foreign ministry stated "supporting the African diaspora and the fight against racism and immigrant hostility are also essential focuses".

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