🔗 Share this article

The Spanish government is pursuing a noticeably unique path from several Western nations when it comes to immigration strategies and relations toward the African mainland.

Although countries like the United States, Britain, France and Germany are reducing their development aid budgets, Madrid remains committed to expanding its involvement, even from a lower starting point.

Current Programs

This week, the Spanish capital has been welcoming an continent-endorsed "international gathering on persons of African origin". The Madrid African conference will examine corrective fairness and the establishment of a new development fund.

This represents the newest evidence of how Madrid's leadership is attempting to strengthen and expand its cooperation with the mainland that rests only a short distance to the southern direction, across the Straits of Gibraltar.

Strategic Framework

During summer Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares established a recent guidance panel of prominent intellectual, international relations and arts representatives, more than half of them of African origin, to monitor the implementation of the thorough Spain-Africa strategy that his leadership released at the end of last year.

Additional diplomatic missions south of the Sahara, and cooperative ventures in business and learning are arranged.

Migration Management

The contrast between Madrid's strategy and that of others in the West is not just in expenditure but in tone and outlook – and especially noticeable than in dealing with population movement.

Comparable with different EU nations, Administration Head Pedro Sanchez is looking for ways to manage the arrival of unauthorized entrants.

"From our perspective, the immigration situation is not only a matter of ethical standards, solidarity and dignity, but also one of rationality," the government leader stated.

Exceeding 45,000 persons attempted the hazardous maritime passage from West African coastline to the Spanish archipelago of the Atlantic islands last year. Estimates of those who perished while undertaking the journey range between 1,400 to a astonishing 10,460.

Practical Solutions

Madrid's government needs to shelter new arrivals, process their claims and manage their absorption into larger population, whether short-term or more long-lasting.

However, in terminology markedly different from the adversarial communication that emanates from numerous EU governments, the Spanish administration frankly admits the challenging monetary conditions on the ground in the West African region that force persons to risk their lives in the effort to reach the European continent.

Furthermore, it attempts to move beyond simply denying access to new arrivals. Conversely, it is creating innovative options, with a pledge to promote population flows that are safe, systematic and regular and "reciprocally advantageous".

Commercial Cooperation

During his visit to Mauritania last year, Sanchez highlighted the participation that migrants contribute to the Spanish economy.

Spain's leadership supports educational programs for youth without work in nations including the Senegalese Republic, particularly for undocumented individuals who have been repatriated, to support them in establishing workable employment options in their homeland.

Furthermore, it increased a "circular migration" initiative that gives persons from the region limited-duration authorizations to enter Spanish territory for restricted durations of seasonal work, mainly in agriculture, and then come home.

Geopolitical Relevance

The core principle underlying the Spanish approach is that the European country, as the EU member state most proximate to the mainland, has an vital national concern in the region's development toward equitable and enduring progress, and stability and safety.

That basic rationale might seem evident.

However the past had directed the Iberian state down a quite different path.

Besides a limited Mediterranean outposts and a compact tropical possession – presently autonomous the Gulf of Guinea country – its colonial expansion in the 16th and 17th Centuries had primarily been focused overseas.

Forward Vision

The cultural dimension incorporates not only advancement of Castilian, with an increased footprint of the language promotion body, but also schemes to assist the movement of academic teachers and scholars.

Security co-operation, action on climate change, female advancement and an increased international engagement are expected elements in the current climate.

Nevertheless, the strategy also lays very public stress it places on backing democratic principles, the African Union and, in specific, the sub-Saharan cooperative body Ecowas.

This represents welcome public encouragement for the latter, which is now experiencing substantial difficulties after observing its five-decade milestone spoiled by the walk-out of the Sahelian states – Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger – whose controlling military regimes have declined to adhere with its standard for political freedom and effective leadership.

Concurrently, in a statement aimed similarly at the national citizenry as its sub-Saharan partners, the foreign ministry declared "assisting the African community abroad and the fight against racism and xenophobia are also essential focuses".

Impressive rhetoric of course are only a initial phase. But in contemporary pessimistic worldwide environment such discourse really does stand out.