Madrid's Distinctive Strategy to Migration from Africa

The Spanish government is pursuing a noticeably unique direction from many Western nations when it comes to immigration strategies and engagement with the African continent.

While states such as the USA, Britain, France and Federal Republic of Germany are reducing their international support allocations, Spain continues dedicated to increasing its participation, even from a modest foundation.

Current Programs

This week, the capital city has been welcoming an African Union-backed "global summit on persons of African origin". The African diaspora summit will examine restorative justice and the establishment of a new development fund.

This constitutes the most recent sign of how the Spanish administration is attempting to strengthen and broaden its involvement with the continent that sits merely a short distance to the southern direction, across the Straits of Gibraltar.

Policy Structure

During summer International Relations Head Madrid's top envoy initiated a recent guidance panel of prominent intellectual, foreign service and heritage experts, the majority of them of African origin, to oversee the execution of the thorough Madrid-Africa plan that his administration published at the conclusion of the previous year.

Additional diplomatic missions below the Sahara desert, and partnerships in commerce and academic are arranged.

Immigration Control

The distinction between Spain's approach and that of different European countries is not just in expenditure but in attitude and philosophy – and nowhere more so than in handling migration.

Comparable with other European locations, Government Leader Madrid's chief executive is exploring approaches to contain the arrival of unauthorized entrants.

"In our view, the movement dynamic is not only a issue of humanitarian values, solidarity and dignity, but also one of reason," the administration head stated.

Over 45,000 individuals made the perilous sea crossing from West African coastline to the overseas region of the Canaries recently. Estimates of those who perished while undertaking the journey range between 1,400 to a astonishing 10,460.

Effective Measures

The Spanish administration has to accommodate recent entrants, evaluate their applications and handle their incorporation into wider society, whether transient or more long-lasting.

Nevertheless, in terminology distinctly separate from the adversarial communication that emanates from several Western administrations, the Sanchez government frankly admits the difficult financial circumstances on the territory in West Africa that compel individuals to risk their lives in the effort to reach Europe.

And it is trying to exceed simply refusing entry to incoming migrants. Rather, it is developing creative alternatives, with a commitment to encourage human mobility that are secure, systematic and routine and "mutually beneficial".

Financial Collaboration

While traveling to the Mauritanian Republic last year, the Spanish leader emphasized the input that migrants provide for the national finances.

Spain's leadership supports skill development initiatives for youth without work in countries such as the West African country, notably for unauthorized persons who have been sent back, to assist them in creating workable employment options back home.

And it has expanded a "cyclical relocation" initiative that gives individuals from West Africa limited-duration authorizations to come to Spain for limited periods of periodic labor, mostly in cultivation, and then go back.

Geopolitical Relevance

The basic concept supporting the Spanish approach is that Spain, as the continental nation nearest to the region, has an crucial domestic priority in Africa's progress toward inclusive and sustainable development, and tranquility and protection.

This fundamental reasoning might seem apparent.

Yet of course history had taken the Spanish nation down a noticeably unique course.

Other than a several North African presences and a minor equatorial territory – today's independent Equatorial Guinea – its territorial acquisition in the 1500s and 1600s had mostly been oriented across the Atlantic.

Future Outlook

The heritage aspect incorporates not only advancement of Castilian, with an enhanced representation of the Spanish cultural organization, but also schemes to assist the mobility of scholarly educators and investigators.

Defense collaboration, action on climate change, female advancement and an enhanced consular representation are predictable aspects in contemporary circumstances.

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

This represents favorable governmental endorsement for the latter, which is currently under severe pressure after seeing its 50th anniversary year spoiled by the walk-out of the Sahel nations – the Sahel country, the West African state and the Sahel territory – whose controlling military regimes have declined to adhere with its agreement regarding democratic governance and good governance.

Concurrently, in a message directed equally toward Madrid's domestic audience as its continental allies, the external affairs department declared "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 the current negative global atmosphere such terminology really does distinguish itself.