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Madrid is adopting a noticeably unique path from numerous Western nations when it comes to immigration strategies and engagement with the African mainland.

Although countries like the US, United Kingdom, France and Germany are slashing their international support allocations, Madrid remains committed to increasing its participation, albeit from a reduced baseline.

Current Programs

Currently, the capital city has been welcoming an AU-supported "global summit on persons of African origin". The Madrid African conference will discuss corrective fairness and the establishment of a innovative support mechanism.

This constitutes the newest evidence of how Madrid's leadership is attempting to strengthen and expand its cooperation with the region that lies just a brief span to the south, over the Mediterranean crossing.

Strategic Framework

During summer Foreign Minister Madrid's top envoy initiated a fresh consultative body of prominent intellectual, foreign service and arts representatives, over 50 percent of them from Africa, to supervise the execution of the comprehensive Spain-Africa strategy that his leadership released at the end of last year.

Additional diplomatic missions below the Sahara desert, and partnerships in commerce and learning are planned.

Movement Regulation

The contrast between Madrid's strategy and that of different European countries is not just in spending but in tone and mindset – and especially noticeable than in dealing with immigration.

Similar to other European locations, Administration Head the Spanish premier is seeking methods to contain the influx of unauthorized entrants.

"From our perspective, the immigration situation is not only a question of moral principles, unity and respect, but also one of rationality," the prime minister stated.

More than 45,000 individuals undertook the dangerous ocean journey from Africa's west coast to the overseas region of the Canary Islands last year. Approximations of those who perished while trying the crossing range between 1,400 to a overwhelming 10,460.

Workable Approaches

The Spanish administration needs to shelter new arrivals, review their cases and oversee their integration into larger population, whether temporary or more long-lasting.

Nonetheless, in rhetoric distinctly separate from the hostile messaging that comes from many European capitals, the Sanchez government openly acknowledges the challenging monetary conditions on the ground in West Africa that push people to jeopardize their safety in the attempt to attain the European continent.

Additionally, it strives to exceed simply denying access to recent entrants. Instead, it is creating innovative options, with a pledge to foster population flows that are protected, organized and routine and "reciprocally advantageous".

Economic Partnerships

While traveling to the Mauritanian Republic last year, the Spanish leader emphasized the input that migrants contribute to the Iberian economic system.

The Spanish government funds skill development initiatives for jobless young people in countries such as Senegal, particularly for undocumented individuals who have been sent back, to assist them in creating sustainable income sources in their native country.

Additionally, it enlarged a "cyclical relocation" scheme that provides West Africans short-term visas to arrive in the Iberian nation for defined timeframes of periodic labor, primarily in farming, and then return.

Strategic Importance

The fundamental premise guiding Madrid's outreach is that the Iberian nation, as the European country nearest to the mainland, has an essential self interest in Africa's progress toward comprehensive and lasting growth, and peace and security.

The core justification might seem evident.

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

Besides a limited Mediterranean outposts and a minor equatorial territory – presently autonomous the Gulf of Guinea country – its imperial growth in the historical period had primarily been focused across the Atlantic.

Forward Vision

The heritage aspect includes not only advancement of Castilian, with an expanded presence of the language promotion body, but also programmes to support the movement of scholarly educators and scholars.

Protection partnership, measures regarding environmental shifts, women's empowerment and an enhanced consular representation are predictable aspects in the current climate.

Nonetheless, the strategy also places significant emphasis it allocates for supporting democratic ideas, the African Union and, in especial, the sub-Saharan cooperative body the Economic Community of West African States.

This will be welcome public encouragement for the organization, which is now experiencing substantial difficulties after seeing its 50th anniversary year tainted by the withdrawal of the desert region countries – the West African nation, Mali and the Nigerien Republic – whose governing armed forces have chosen not to follow with its protocol on democracy and proper administration.

Concurrently, in a statement directed equally toward Spain's internal population as its sub-Saharan partners, the external affairs department said "supporting the African diaspora and the fight against racism and immigrant hostility are also crucial objectives".

Fine words of course are only a beginning stage. But in today's sour international climate such terminology really does distinguish itself.