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

Although states such as the US, United Kingdom, French Republic and Germany are cutting back their international support allocations, the Spanish government stays focused to increasing its involvement, even from a lower starting point.

Recent Developments

Recently, the Madrid has been hosting an AU-supported "world conference on individuals with African heritage". AfroMadrid2025 will discuss restorative justice and the establishment of a fresh assistance program.

This demonstrates the latest indication of how the Spanish administration is working to enhance and broaden its involvement with the mainland that rests only a few kilometres to the south, over the Mediterranean crossing.

Governmental Approach

This past summer International Relations Head the Spanish diplomat launched a fresh consultative body of distinguished academic, diplomatic and arts representatives, over 50 percent of them African, to oversee the execution of the comprehensive Spanish-African initiative that his government unveiled at the close of the prior year.

Additional diplomatic missions below the Sahara desert, and partnerships in commerce and education are scheduled.

Movement Regulation

The difference between Spain's approach and that of different European countries is not just in spending but in tone and philosophy – and especially noticeable than in handling migration.

Comparable with other European locations, Administration Head Madrid's chief executive is seeking methods to manage the influx of undocumented migrants.

"From our perspective, the migratory phenomenon is not only a issue of humanitarian values, unity and dignity, but also one of logic," the government leader stated.

Over 45,000 persons undertook the dangerous ocean journey from the Atlantic African shore to the Spanish archipelago of the Canary Islands last year. Calculations of those who perished while trying the crossing range between 1,400 to a astonishing 10,460.

Workable Approaches

Spain's leadership must house fresh migrants, evaluate their applications and manage their absorption into broader community, whether temporary or more permanent.

Nevertheless, in rhetoric distinctly separate from the adversarial communication that originates from numerous EU governments, the Madrid leadership publicly recognizes the hard economic realities on the region in West Africa that compel individuals to risk their lives in the attempt to attain Europe.

And it is trying to move beyond simply refusing entry to incoming migrants. Conversely, it is developing creative alternatives, with a commitment to foster population flows that are protected, orderly and standardized and "mutually beneficial".

Economic Partnerships

During his visit to Mauritania last year, Sanchez emphasized the contribution that immigrants make to the national finances.

The Spanish government supports training schemes for youth without work in countries such as the West African country, notably for unauthorized persons who have been sent back, to support them in establishing viable new livelihoods in their homeland.

Additionally, it enlarged a "cyclical relocation" initiative that provides persons from the region limited-duration authorizations to arrive in the Iberian nation for restricted durations of seasonal work, mostly in cultivation, and then go back.

Strategic Importance

The basic concept supporting Spain's engagement is that the Iberian nation, as the EU member state most proximate to the region, has an crucial domestic priority in the continent's advancement toward inclusive and sustainable development, and peace and security.

This fundamental reasoning might seem evident.

However the past had directed Spain down a quite different path.

Apart from a several North African presences and a small tropical outpost – today's independent the Central African nation – its colonial expansion in the 1500s and 1600s had mostly been oriented toward the Americas.

Forward Vision

The arts component includes not only promotion of the Spanish language, with an expanded presence of the language promotion body, but also schemes to help the movement of scholarly educators and scholars.

Defense collaboration, initiatives concerning global warming, gender equality and an enhanced consular representation are unsurprising components in the current climate.

Nonetheless, the plan also puts notable focus it assigns to supporting democratic ideas, the pan-African body and, in specific, the sub-Saharan cooperative body the West African economic bloc.

This constitutes positive official support for the latter, which is currently under severe pressure after witnessing its half-century celebration spoiled by the departure of the Sahelian states – Burkina Faso, the Malian Republic and Niger – whose governing armed forces have declined to adhere with its agreement regarding democratic governance and effective leadership.

Simultaneously, in a communication targeted as much at Spain's internal population as its African collaborators, the foreign ministry said "supporting the African diaspora and the struggle versus discrimination and anti-foreigner sentiment are also key priorities".

Eloquent statements of course are only a initial phase. But in contemporary pessimistic worldwide environment such terminology really does appear distinctive.