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The Spanish government is pursuing a markedly separate course from many European countries when it comes to immigration strategies and engagement with the African mainland.

Whereas countries like the USA, United Kingdom, French Republic and Germany are cutting back their development aid budgets, Madrid remains committed to increasing its engagement, albeit from a modest foundation.

Recent Developments

Currently, the Madrid has been welcoming an AU-supported "world conference on individuals with African heritage". AfroMadrid2025 will examine corrective fairness and the establishment of a innovative support mechanism.

This demonstrates the latest indication of how the Spanish administration is working to enhance and diversify its engagement with the mainland that sits merely a few kilometres to the southern direction, over the Mediterranean crossing.

Governmental Approach

This past summer External Affairs Minister Madrid's top envoy launched a new advisory council of prominent intellectual, international relations and cultural figures, over 50 percent of them of African origin, to oversee the implementation of the thorough Spain-Africa strategy that his leadership released at the conclusion of the previous year.

Fresh consular offices below the Sahara desert, and cooperative ventures in commerce and academic are scheduled.

Movement Regulation

The contrast between Madrid's strategy and that of other Western nations is not just in expenditure but in perspective and outlook – and especially noticeable than in addressing immigration.

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

"In our view, the migratory phenomenon is not only a issue of humanitarian values, solidarity and respect, but also one of reason," the government leader stated.

Over 45,000 people made the perilous sea crossing from West African coastline to the island territory of the Canaries recently. Approximations of those who died while undertaking the journey range between 1,400 to a overwhelming 10,460.

Practical Solutions

The Spanish administration has to accommodate fresh migrants, process their claims and manage their absorption into larger population, whether temporary or more permanent.

Nonetheless, in terminology markedly different from the confrontational statements that comes from numerous EU governments, the Madrid leadership openly acknowledges the difficult financial circumstances on the ground in Western Africa that push people to risk their lives in the endeavor to achieve EU territory.

Additionally, it strives to exceed simply refusing entry to incoming migrants. Conversely, it is designing original solutions, with a pledge to encourage human mobility that are safe, organized and standardized and "jointly profitable".

Commercial Cooperation

On his trip to the Mauritanian Republic recently, Sanchez stressed the input that migrants make to the national finances.

Spain's leadership finances training schemes for jobless young people in nations including the West African country, notably for undocumented individuals who have been returned, to help them develop sustainable income sources back home.

And it has expanded a "rotational movement" scheme that provides persons from the region limited-duration authorizations to come to Spain for defined timeframes of periodic labor, mainly in agriculture, and then go back.

Strategic Importance

The core principle supporting Madrid's outreach is that the European country, as the continental nation closest to the region, has an crucial domestic priority in the region's development toward inclusive and sustainable development, and peace and security.

The core justification might seem obvious.

Nevertheless the past had directed Spain down a noticeably unique course.

Other than a few Maghreb footholds and a compact tropical possession – currently sovereign Equatorial Guinea – its imperial growth in the 16th and 17th Centuries had mainly been directed overseas.

Prospective Direction

The heritage aspect includes not only dissemination of the national tongue, with an enhanced representation of the Cervantes Institute, but also schemes to support the transfer of scholarly educators and scholars.

Security co-operation, initiatives concerning global warming, female advancement and an expanded diplomatic presence are predictable aspects in the current climate.

However, the approach also places significant emphasis it assigns to assisting democratic values, the African Union and, in particular, the West African regional organization the Economic Community of West African States.

This will be welcome public encouragement for the entity, which is presently facing significant challenges after seeing its 50th anniversary year tainted by the walk-out of the Sahelian states – Burkina Faso, the Malian Republic and the Sahel territory – whose controlling military regimes have declined to adhere with its agreement regarding democratic governance and proper administration.

Simultaneously, in a message directed equally toward Spain's internal population as its African collaborators, the external affairs department declared "assisting the African community abroad and the struggle versus discrimination and xenophobia are also essential focuses".

Fine words of course are only a first step. But in contemporary pessimistic worldwide environment such terminology really does stand out.