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Spain is charting a noticeably unique course from many developed states when it comes to movement regulations and engagement with the African mainland.

Whereas nations including the USA, Britain, French Republic and Germany are slashing their foreign assistance funding, Spain stays focused to enhancing its involvement, even from a modest foundation.

New Initiatives

Currently, the Madrid has been accommodating an African Union-backed "global summit on individuals with African heritage". The African diaspora summit will examine reparative equity and the creation of a fresh assistance program.

This represents the latest indication of how the Spanish administration is attempting to strengthen and broaden its involvement with the continent that rests only a few kilometres to the south, over the Mediterranean crossing.

Strategic Framework

This past summer Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares launched a fresh consultative body of prominent intellectual, diplomatic and heritage experts, more than half of them African, to oversee the execution of the thorough Spain-Africa strategy that his government released at the close of the prior year.

Additional diplomatic missions in sub-Saharan regions, and collaborations in enterprise and learning are arranged.

Immigration Control

The contrast between the Spanish method and that of other Western nations is not just in expenditure but in attitude and outlook – and nowhere more so than in dealing with population movement.

Comparable with different EU nations, Government Leader the Spanish premier is exploring approaches to control the influx of unauthorized entrants.

"In our view, the immigration situation is not only a issue of humanitarian values, mutual support and dignity, but also one of logic," the administration head said.

Exceeding 45,000 people undertook the dangerous ocean journey from West African coastline to the Spanish archipelago of the Atlantic islands last year. Calculations of those who perished while making the attempt range between 1,400 to a overwhelming 10,460.

Effective Measures

Madrid's government must house fresh migrants, review their cases and handle their incorporation into larger population, whether transient or more enduring.

Nevertheless, in rhetoric distinctly separate from the adversarial communication that emanates from numerous EU governments, the Madrid leadership openly acknowledges the difficult financial circumstances on the region in Western Africa that force persons to endanger themselves in the endeavor to achieve Europe.

Furthermore, it attempts to transcend simply refusing entry to recent entrants. Conversely, it is designing original solutions, with a commitment to promote movements of people that are safe, systematic and regular and "reciprocally advantageous".

Commercial Cooperation

During his visit to the Mauritanian Republic recently, Sanchez highlighted the contribution that foreign workers provide for the Iberian economic system.

Spain's leadership funds training schemes for unemployed youth in states like Senegal, especially for undocumented individuals who have been returned, to support them in establishing workable employment options back home.

Additionally, it enlarged a "rotational movement" scheme that provides individuals from West Africa temporary permits to arrive in the Iberian nation for limited periods of seasonal work, mostly in cultivation, and then return.

Strategic Importance

The basic concept underlying the Spanish approach is that the Iberian nation, as the European country nearest to the continent, has an vital national concern in the continent's advancement toward equitable and enduring progress, and peace and security.

That basic rationale might seem evident.

However previous eras had guided Spain down a quite different path.

Other than a few Maghreb footholds and a compact tropical possession – currently sovereign Equatorial Guinea – its colonial expansion in the historical period had mostly been oriented overseas.

Forward Vision

The cultural dimension incorporates not only promotion of the Spanish language, with an enhanced representation of the language promotion body, but also initiatives to help the transfer of scholarly educators and researchers.

Security co-operation, measures regarding environmental shifts, gender equality and an increased international engagement are predictable aspects in today's environment.

However, the approach also lays very public stress it assigns to assisting democratic values, the continental organization and, in especial, the regional West African group Ecowas.

This will be welcome public encouragement for the organization, which is presently facing significant challenges after seeing its 50th anniversary year spoiled by the withdrawal of the desert region countries – Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger – whose governing armed forces have chosen not to follow with its protocol on democracy and good governance.

Meanwhile, in a communication aimed similarly at the national citizenry as its sub-Saharan partners, the foreign ministry said "supporting the African diaspora and the fight against racism and xenophobia are also essential focuses".

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