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Madrid is adopting a noticeably unique course from several Western nations when it comes to immigration strategies and engagement with the African continent.

Whereas countries like the United States, UK, France and Germany are cutting back their foreign assistance funding, Madrid stays focused to enhancing its engagement, albeit from a lower starting point.

New Initiatives

Currently, the Spanish capital has been hosting an African Union-backed "international gathering on people of African descent". The African diaspora summit will examine corrective fairness and the formation of a fresh assistance program.

This demonstrates the latest indication of how the Spanish administration is attempting to strengthen and diversify its engagement with the mainland that sits merely a short distance to the southern direction, beyond the Gibraltar passage.

Policy Structure

This past summer International Relations Head José Manuel Albares initiated a recent guidance panel of prominent intellectual, international relations and cultural figures, over 50 percent of them of African origin, to monitor the delivery of the detailed Madrid-Africa plan that his administration released at the end of last year.

New embassies south of the Sahara, and cooperative ventures in commerce and academic are planned.

Movement Regulation

The difference between Madrid's strategy and that of different European countries is not just in spending but in perspective and philosophy – and nowhere more so than in dealing with migration.

Like other European locations, Prime Minister Madrid's chief executive is looking for ways to control the entry of irregular arrivals.

"For us, the immigration situation is not only a issue of humanitarian values, unity and dignity, but also one of logic," the administration head stated.

Exceeding 45,000 persons made the perilous sea crossing from West African coastline to the island territory of the Atlantic islands recently. Approximations of those who died while trying the crossing vary from 1,400 to a overwhelming 10,460.

Effective Measures

Spain's leadership has to accommodate fresh migrants, review their cases and manage their absorption into broader community, whether temporary or more long-lasting.

Nonetheless, in language noticeably distinct from the confrontational statements that emanates from many European capitals, the Spanish administration openly acknowledges the challenging monetary conditions on the territory in the West African region that push people to risk their lives in the endeavor to achieve Europe.

Furthermore, it attempts to move beyond simply denying access to new arrivals. Rather, it is creating innovative options, with a commitment to foster population flows that are protected, orderly and standardized and "mutually beneficial".

Commercial Cooperation

While traveling to the West African nation the previous year, the Spanish leader stressed the input that foreign workers provide for the Iberian economic system.

The Spanish government funds skill development initiatives for jobless young people in nations including Senegal, notably for unauthorized persons who have been sent back, to help them develop workable employment options back home.

Furthermore, it increased a "rotational movement" initiative that offers persons from the region temporary permits to arrive in the Iberian nation for restricted durations of periodic labor, mainly in agriculture, and then go back.

Strategic Importance

The basic concept guiding Spain's engagement is that Spain, as the EU member state closest to the continent, has an crucial domestic priority in Africa's progress toward inclusive and sustainable development, and peace and security.

That basic rationale might seem apparent.

Yet of course history had taken Spain down a distinctly separate route.

Other than a few Maghreb footholds and a minor equatorial territory – today's independent the Central African nation – its imperial growth in the 16th and 17th Centuries had primarily been focused overseas.

Prospective Direction

The cultural dimension incorporates not only promotion of the Spanish language, with an enhanced representation of the Spanish cultural organization, but also programmes to assist the mobility of educational instructors and researchers.

Protection partnership, action on climate change, women's empowerment and an increased international engagement are predictable aspects in today's environment.

However, the strategy also lays very public stress it allocates for assisting democratic values, the continental organization and, in particular, the West African regional organization the Economic Community of West African States.

This represents positive official support for the latter, which is presently facing significant challenges after seeing its 50th anniversary year spoiled by the withdrawal of the desert region countries – Burkina Faso, the West African state and the Sahel territory – whose controlling military regimes have refused to comply with its agreement regarding democratic governance and good governance.

Meanwhile, in a message aimed similarly at the national citizenry as its continental allies, the foreign ministry said "assisting the African community abroad and the struggle versus discrimination and immigrant hostility are also key priorities".

Fine words of course are only a first step. But in the current negative global atmosphere such language really does stand out.