Madrid's Distinctive Method to African Migration

Spain is charting a noticeably unique path from numerous developed states when it comes to immigration strategies and cooperation with the African continent.

Although nations including the US, Britain, French Republic and Germany are reducing their development aid budgets, the Spanish government remains committed to expanding its engagement, even from a modest foundation.

New Initiatives

Currently, the capital city has been accommodating an AU-supported "global summit on individuals with African heritage". The African diaspora summit will discuss reparative equity and the creation of a new development fund.

This demonstrates the latest indication of how the Spanish administration is working to enhance and expand its cooperation with the region that rests only a short distance to the southern direction, across the Straits of Gibraltar.

Policy Structure

In July Foreign Minister Madrid's top envoy initiated a new advisory council of distinguished academic, diplomatic and heritage experts, the majority of them from Africa, to monitor the delivery of the thorough Spain-Africa strategy that his leadership released at the end of last year.

Additional diplomatic missions south of the Sahara, and collaborations in enterprise and learning are planned.

Migration Management

The distinction between the Spanish method and that of other Western nations is not just in expenditure but in attitude and mindset – and nowhere more so than in addressing population movement.

Similar to elsewhere in Europe, Administration Head Pedro Sanchez is looking for ways to manage the arrival of undocumented migrants.

"In our view, the immigration situation is not only a matter of ethical standards, mutual support and honor, but also one of reason," the government leader said.

Exceeding 45,000 people undertook the dangerous ocean journey from West African coastline to the Spanish archipelago of the Canary Islands the previous year. Approximations of those who perished while making the attempt range between 1,400 to a astonishing 10,460.

Effective Measures

Madrid's government has to accommodate new arrivals, evaluate their applications and oversee their integration into wider society, whether transient or more long-lasting.

Nonetheless, in terminology distinctly separate from the confrontational statements that emanates from several Western administrations, the Madrid leadership openly acknowledges the challenging monetary conditions on the territory in Western Africa that push people to endanger themselves in the attempt to attain Europe.

And it is trying to exceed simply denying access to recent entrants. Rather, it is developing creative alternatives, with a promise to encourage movements of people that are safe, orderly and standardized and "jointly profitable".

Economic Partnerships

On his trip to the West African nation last year, the Spanish leader highlighted the participation that foreign workers contribute to the Spanish economy.

Spain's leadership finances training schemes for youth without work in states like the Senegalese Republic, particularly for irregular migrants who have been returned, to support them in establishing viable new livelihoods in their homeland.

Additionally, it enlarged a "circular migration" initiative that offers persons from the region short-term visas to arrive in the Iberian nation for restricted durations of periodic labor, mainly in agriculture, and then return.

Geopolitical Relevance

The fundamental premise supporting the Spanish approach is that Spain, as the European country nearest to the continent, has an essential self interest in the region's development toward equitable and enduring progress, and peace and security.

That basic rationale might seem apparent.

However history had taken the Spanish nation down a quite different path.

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

Forward Vision

The arts component encompasses not only promotion of the Spanish language, with an enhanced representation of the Cervantes Institute, but also initiatives to help the movement of scholarly educators and researchers.

Protection partnership, measures regarding environmental shifts, female advancement and an enhanced consular representation are predictable aspects in the current climate.

Nevertheless, the approach also lays very public stress it places on supporting democratic ideas, the pan-African body and, in especial, the regional West African group Ecowas.

This represents positive official support for the entity, which is now experiencing substantial difficulties after witnessing its half-century celebration tainted by the withdrawal of the Sahel nations – the West African nation, Mali and the Sahel territory – whose ruling military juntas have declined to adhere with its protocol on democracy and effective leadership.

Simultaneously, in a communication targeted as much at Madrid's domestic audience as its sub-Saharan partners, the foreign ministry said "helping persons of African origin and the battle against prejudice and immigrant hostility are also crucial objectives".

Fine words of course are only a first step. But in today's sour international climate such language really does stand out.