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Madrid is adopting a noticeably unique course from many Western nations when it comes to movement regulations and engagement with the African mainland.

While states such as the USA, United Kingdom, France and Federal Republic of Germany are reducing their development aid budgets, the Spanish government remains committed to expanding its engagement, albeit from a modest foundation.

New Initiatives

This week, the Spanish capital has been welcoming an AU-supported "global summit on persons of African origin". The African diaspora summit will explore reparative equity and the formation of a fresh assistance program.

This demonstrates the most recent sign of how Spain's socialist-led government is attempting to strengthen and expand its cooperation with the region that rests only a few kilometres to the south, over the Mediterranean crossing.

Strategic Framework

During summer International Relations Head the Spanish diplomat established a fresh consultative body of renowned scholarly, diplomatic and arts representatives, the majority of them African, to supervise the delivery of the comprehensive Spanish-African initiative that his government unveiled at the end of last year.

Fresh consular offices south of the Sahara, and collaborations in enterprise and academic are arranged.

Immigration Control

The difference between Spain's approach and that of other Western nations is not just in spending but in perspective and outlook – and nowhere more so than in addressing immigration.

Like elsewhere in Europe, Administration Head Pedro Sanchez is looking for ways to contain the arrival of irregular arrivals.

"In our view, the movement dynamic is not only a issue of humanitarian values, unity and dignity, but also one of reason," the administration head said.

More than 45,000 persons made the perilous sea crossing from Africa's west coast to the overseas region of the Canary Islands last year. Calculations of those who lost their lives while trying the crossing range between 1,400 to a astonishing 10,460.

Workable Approaches

The Spanish administration must house new arrivals, review their cases and oversee their integration into broader community, whether transient or more permanent.

Nevertheless, in language noticeably distinct from the adversarial communication that comes from numerous EU governments, the Spanish administration openly acknowledges the challenging monetary conditions on the territory in West Africa that compel individuals to jeopardize their safety in the endeavor to achieve EU territory.

Furthermore, it attempts to transcend simply denying access to recent entrants. Conversely, it is designing original solutions, with a commitment to promote human mobility that are secure, systematic and regular and "mutually beneficial".

Commercial Cooperation

During his visit to the West African nation the previous year, Sanchez stressed the contribution that immigrants make to the Spanish economy.

Madrid's administration supports educational programs for jobless young people in states like the West African country, notably for undocumented individuals who have been returned, to help them develop viable new livelihoods back home.

Additionally, it enlarged a "circular migration" scheme that gives West Africans limited-duration authorizations to come to Spain for limited periods of seasonal work, primarily in farming, and then come home.

Policy Significance

The basic concept guiding Spain's engagement is that the Iberian nation, as the EU member state nearest to the region, has an crucial domestic priority in the continent's advancement toward equitable and enduring progress, and stability and safety.

The core justification might seem obvious.

However the past had directed Spain down a distinctly separate route.

Other than a few Maghreb footholds and a minor equatorial territory – presently autonomous Equatorial Guinea – its territorial acquisition in the historical period had primarily been focused across the Atlantic.

Future Outlook

The arts component incorporates not only advancement of Castilian, with an expanded presence of the language promotion body, but also programmes to help the movement of educational instructors and researchers.

Security co-operation, measures regarding environmental shifts, female advancement and an expanded diplomatic presence are expected elements in contemporary circumstances.

Nonetheless, the strategy also puts notable focus it allocates for supporting democratic ideas, the pan-African body and, in especial, the regional West African group Ecowas.

This constitutes welcome public encouragement for the latter, which is currently under severe pressure after observing its five-decade milestone marred by the departure of the desert region countries – Burkina Faso, the West African state and the Nigerien Republic – whose controlling military regimes have declined to adhere with its agreement regarding democratic governance and proper administration.

Meanwhile, in a message directed equally toward Spain's internal population as its African collaborators, the external affairs department said "supporting the African diaspora and the battle against prejudice and immigrant hostility are also essential focuses".

Impressive rhetoric of course are only a initial phase. But in the current negative global atmosphere such language really does appear distinctive.