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Madrid is adopting a noticeably unique course from many developed states when it comes to immigration strategies and relations toward the African mainland.

Whereas countries like the USA, Britain, France and Federal Republic of Germany are cutting back their international support allocations, the Spanish government continues dedicated to expanding its participation, though from a modest foundation.

Current Programs

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

This represents the most recent sign of how Madrid's leadership is seeking to deepen and broaden its involvement with the mainland that lies just a brief span to the southern direction, beyond the Gibraltar passage.

Policy Structure

During summer External Affairs Minister the Spanish diplomat launched a fresh consultative body of prominent intellectual, foreign service and heritage experts, more than half of them African, to monitor the implementation of the thorough Madrid-Africa plan that his administration unveiled at the conclusion of the previous year.

Fresh consular offices below the Sahara desert, and partnerships in business and academic are planned.

Movement Regulation

The contrast between the Spanish method and that of different European countries is not just in expenditure but in tone and outlook – and nowhere more so than in addressing population movement.

Similar to different EU nations, Government Leader Madrid's chief executive is seeking methods to contain the arrival of irregular arrivals.

"From our perspective, the migratory phenomenon is not only a issue of humanitarian values, unity and dignity, but also one of reason," the government leader stated.

Exceeding 45,000 individuals made the perilous sea crossing from West African coastline to the overseas region of the Canaries last year. Estimates of those who lost their lives 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 wider society, whether temporary or more permanent.

Nevertheless, in rhetoric markedly different from the hostile messaging that originates from numerous EU governments, the Sanchez government openly acknowledges the hard economic realities on the ground in West Africa that compel individuals to risk their lives in the endeavor to achieve Europe.

Furthermore, it attempts to transcend simply denying access to new arrivals. Instead, it is creating innovative options, with a promise to foster population flows that are secure, organized and standardized and "mutually beneficial".

Commercial Cooperation

While traveling to the Mauritanian Republic last year, the Spanish leader highlighted the input that migrants provide for the Spanish economy.

The Spanish government finances training schemes for jobless young people in states like the West African country, especially for undocumented individuals who have been returned, to help them develop sustainable income sources back home.

And it has expanded a "cyclical relocation" initiative that provides individuals from West Africa temporary permits to arrive in the Iberian nation for defined timeframes of periodic labor, primarily in farming, and then go back.

Geopolitical Relevance

The core principle guiding Madrid's outreach is that the Iberian nation, as the continental nation closest to the mainland, has an vital national concern in Africa's progress toward equitable and enduring progress, and tranquility and protection.

This fundamental reasoning might seem obvious.

Nevertheless previous eras had guided the Spanish nation down a distinctly separate route.

Besides a several North African presences and a minor equatorial territory – presently autonomous the Gulf of Guinea country – its colonial expansion in the historical period had mainly been directed across the Atlantic.

Future Outlook

The arts component incorporates not only dissemination of the national tongue, with an expanded presence of the Cervantes Institute, but also schemes to help the movement of educational instructors and scholars.

Protection partnership, measures regarding environmental shifts, gender equality and an increased international engagement are expected elements in contemporary circumstances.

Nevertheless, the strategy also places significant emphasis it places on backing democratic principles, the pan-African body and, in particular, the sub-Saharan cooperative body the West African economic bloc.

This represents positive official support for the entity, which is presently facing significant challenges after observing its five-decade milestone tainted by the walk-out of the desert region countries – the West African nation, Mali and Niger – whose ruling military juntas have chosen not to follow with its agreement regarding democratic governance and effective leadership.

Concurrently, in a statement targeted as much at Madrid's domestic audience as its sub-Saharan partners, the foreign ministry declared "supporting the African diaspora and the struggle versus discrimination and anti-foreigner sentiment are also key priorities".

Eloquent statements of course are only a beginning stage. But in the current negative global atmosphere such discourse really does appear distinctive.