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The Spanish government is pursuing a noticeably unique path from several Western nations when it comes to movement regulations and cooperation with the African mainland.

Whereas countries like the US, Britain, French Republic and Federal Republic of Germany are cutting back their international support allocations, the Spanish government stays focused to increasing its engagement, though from a lower starting point.

New Initiatives

This week, the capital city has been welcoming an continent-endorsed "international gathering on people of African descent". The African diaspora summit will explore reparative equity and the creation of a innovative support mechanism.

This constitutes the latest indication of how the Spanish administration is attempting to strengthen and broaden its involvement with the region that sits merely a brief span to the southern direction, across the Straits of Gibraltar.

Governmental Approach

In July External Affairs Minister Madrid's top envoy initiated a new advisory council of prominent intellectual, diplomatic and cultural figures, more than half of them from Africa, to oversee the implementation of the comprehensive Madrid-Africa plan that his leadership published at the end of last year.

New embassies in sub-Saharan regions, and collaborations in commerce and academic are planned.

Immigration Control

The contrast between Spain's approach and that of different European countries is not just in expenditure but in perspective and philosophy – and nowhere more so than in handling population movement.

Like different EU nations, Government Leader Pedro Sanchez is looking for ways to manage the entry of irregular arrivals.

"In our view, the movement dynamic is not only a question of moral principles, unity and respect, but also one of logic," the administration head commented.

Over 45,000 people attempted the hazardous maritime passage from Africa's west coast to the island territory of the Canary Islands the previous year. Approximations of those who died while undertaking the journey range between 1,400 to a overwhelming 10,460.

Practical Solutions

Madrid's government has to accommodate fresh migrants, process their claims and oversee their integration into larger population, whether short-term or more long-lasting.

Nevertheless, in rhetoric distinctly separate from the confrontational statements that originates from many European capitals, the Spanish administration publicly recognizes the hard economic realities on the territory in Western Africa that compel individuals to jeopardize their safety in the endeavor to achieve Europe.

Additionally, it strives to move beyond simply denying access to recent entrants. Rather, it is designing original solutions, with a promise to foster population flows that are protected, organized and routine and "reciprocally advantageous".

Financial Collaboration

During his visit to Mauritania recently, Sanchez emphasized the input that migrants contribute to the Spanish economy.

Madrid's administration finances educational programs for jobless young people in states like the West African country, particularly for unauthorized persons who have been sent back, to assist them in creating workable employment options back home.

And it has expanded a "rotational movement" scheme that provides West Africans limited-duration authorizations to enter Spanish territory for limited periods of periodic labor, primarily in farming, and then come home.

Strategic Importance

The fundamental premise underlying Madrid's outreach is that Spain, as the continental nation most proximate to the continent, has an crucial domestic priority in Africa's progress toward equitable and enduring progress, and tranquility and protection.

That basic rationale might seem apparent.

Nevertheless the past had directed the Iberian state down a quite different path.

Other than a limited Mediterranean outposts and a small tropical outpost – presently autonomous the Central African nation – its imperial growth in the historical period had mostly been oriented toward the Americas.

Future Outlook

The heritage aspect encompasses not only dissemination of the national tongue, with an enhanced representation of the language promotion body, but also programmes to help the transfer of educational instructors and scholars.

Defense collaboration, measures regarding environmental shifts, gender equality and an increased international engagement are expected elements in contemporary circumstances.

However, the plan also puts notable focus it assigns to supporting democratic ideas, the pan-African body and, in specific, the regional West African group the West African economic bloc.

This constitutes welcome public encouragement for the organization, which is presently facing significant challenges after seeing its 50th anniversary year spoiled by the walk-out of the Sahel nations – Burkina Faso, the West African state and the Nigerien Republic – whose controlling military regimes have chosen not to follow with its standard for political freedom and effective leadership.

Concurrently, in a statement targeted as much at Madrid's domestic audience as its sub-Saharan partners, the international relations office declared "assisting the African community abroad and the battle against prejudice and anti-foreigner sentiment are also crucial objectives".

Impressive rhetoric of course are only a beginning stage. But in contemporary pessimistic worldwide environment such language really does appear distinctive.