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Madrid is adopting a markedly separate course from numerous developed states when it comes to immigration strategies and engagement with the African mainland.

While states such as the US, Britain, French Republic and Federal Republic of Germany are cutting back their international support allocations, Spain remains committed to expanding its engagement, even from a lower starting point.

Recent Developments

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 formation of a new development fund.

This demonstrates the most recent sign of how Madrid's leadership is seeking to deepen and expand its cooperation with the mainland that sits merely a short distance to the southern direction, over the Mediterranean crossing.

Policy Structure

During summer Foreign Minister the Spanish diplomat launched a new advisory council of renowned scholarly, foreign service and arts representatives, more than half of them African, to oversee the implementation of the detailed Spanish-African initiative that his leadership unveiled at the conclusion of the previous year.

Fresh consular offices below the Sahara desert, and partnerships in commerce and education are arranged.

Migration Management

The contrast between Madrid's strategy and that of other Western nations is not just in expenditure but in attitude and mindset – and particularly evident than in addressing population movement.

Like elsewhere in Europe, Administration Head Madrid's chief executive is looking for ways to contain the arrival of undocumented migrants.

"For us, the migratory phenomenon is not only a issue of humanitarian values, solidarity and honor, but also one of logic," the prime minister said.

Exceeding 45,000 people attempted the hazardous maritime passage from Africa's west coast to the overseas region of the Canaries last year. Calculations of those who perished while undertaking the journey range between 1,400 to a staggering 10,460.

Practical Solutions

The Spanish administration has to accommodate fresh migrants, process their claims and oversee their integration into wider society, whether temporary or more long-lasting.

However, in terminology noticeably distinct from the confrontational statements that comes from numerous EU governments, the Spanish administration openly acknowledges the challenging monetary conditions on the territory in Western Africa that push people to endanger themselves in the effort to reach the European continent.

Furthermore, it attempts to transcend simply denying access to incoming migrants. Instead, it is designing original solutions, with a commitment to encourage human mobility that are secure, organized and standardized and "mutually beneficial".

Financial Collaboration

While traveling to the West African nation last year, the Spanish leader stressed the contribution that immigrants provide for the Iberian economic system.

Madrid's administration finances skill development initiatives for jobless young people in countries such as the West African country, especially for undocumented individuals who have been repatriated, to support them in establishing workable employment options back home.

And it has expanded a "rotational movement" initiative that gives persons from the region limited-duration authorizations to arrive in the Iberian nation for defined timeframes of seasonal work, mainly in agriculture, and then go back.

Geopolitical Relevance

The core principle supporting Spain's engagement is that Spain, as the continental nation closest to the mainland, has an essential self interest in Africa's progress toward equitable and enduring progress, and peace and security.

That basic rationale might seem obvious.

However history had taken the Iberian state down a noticeably unique course.

Apart from a few Maghreb footholds and a compact tropical possession – currently sovereign the Central African nation – its imperial growth in the 16th and 17th Centuries had mainly been directed toward the Americas.

Prospective Direction

The arts component includes not only dissemination of the national tongue, with an enhanced representation of the Cervantes Institute, but also initiatives to support the movement of educational instructors and investigators.

Protection partnership, action on climate change, gender equality and an expanded diplomatic presence are unsurprising components in the current climate.

However, the strategy also lays very public stress it allocates for assisting democratic values, the African Union and, in particular, the sub-Saharan cooperative body the Economic Community of West African States.

This represents favorable governmental endorsement for the entity, which is currently under severe pressure after seeing its 50th anniversary year tainted by the withdrawal of the desert region countries – Burkina Faso, the Malian Republic and Niger – whose governing armed forces have refused to comply with its standard for political freedom and good governance.

Concurrently, in a communication directed equally toward the national citizenry as its continental allies, the foreign ministry declared "supporting the African diaspora and the struggle versus discrimination and anti-foreigner sentiment are also key priorities".

Impressive rhetoric of course are only a first step. But in the current negative global atmosphere such discourse really does appear distinctive.