Madrid's Unique Approach to Movement from the African Continent

Madrid is adopting a noticeably unique path from many developed states when it comes to migration policies and cooperation with the African continent.

Although countries like the US, Britain, French Republic and Federal Republic of Germany are reducing their development aid budgets, the Spanish government continues dedicated to enhancing its engagement, though from a modest foundation.

Current Programs

Recently, the Spanish capital has been accommodating an African Union-backed "world conference on people of African descent". The African diaspora summit will discuss restorative justice and the creation of a innovative support mechanism.

This demonstrates the latest indication of how Spain's socialist-led government is working to enhance and broaden its involvement with the continent that lies just a brief span to the southern direction, across the Straits of Gibraltar.

Policy Structure

This past summer External Affairs Minister Madrid's top envoy initiated a recent guidance panel of renowned scholarly, international relations and arts representatives, over 50 percent of them from Africa, to oversee the delivery of the comprehensive Spanish-African initiative that his administration published at the conclusion of the previous year.

Additional diplomatic missions in sub-Saharan regions, and collaborations in commerce and academic are scheduled.

Movement Regulation

The contrast between Madrid's strategy and that of others in the West is not just in expenditure but in attitude and philosophy – and nowhere more so than in dealing with population movement.

Similar to different EU nations, Government Leader Madrid's chief executive is seeking methods to control the influx of irregular arrivals.

"From our perspective, the immigration situation is not only a question of moral principles, unity and honor, but also one of reason," the administration head stated.

More than 45,000 persons undertook the dangerous ocean journey from the Atlantic African shore to the island territory of the Canary Islands last year. Calculations of those who perished while trying the crossing vary from 1,400 to a staggering 10,460.

Effective Measures

The Spanish administration has to accommodate recent entrants, review their cases and manage their absorption into larger population, whether short-term or more long-lasting.

Nevertheless, in terminology noticeably distinct from the hostile messaging that comes from several Western administrations, the Madrid leadership publicly recognizes the challenging monetary conditions on the region in the West African region that push people to endanger themselves in the attempt to attain EU territory.

Additionally, it strives to exceed simply denying access to recent entrants. Rather, it is designing original solutions, with a pledge to foster movements of people that are protected, orderly and regular and "jointly profitable".

Economic Partnerships

On his trip to Mauritania last year, Madrid's representative emphasized the input that immigrants contribute to the Iberian economic system.

The Spanish government supports training schemes for jobless young people in nations including the West African country, especially for undocumented individuals who have been returned, to assist them in creating sustainable income sources back home.

Furthermore, it increased a "rotational movement" programme that gives individuals from West Africa temporary permits to arrive in the Iberian nation for defined timeframes of periodic labor, primarily in farming, and then come home.

Strategic Importance

The basic concept guiding Spain's engagement is that the European country, as the continental nation nearest to the mainland, has an vital national concern in the region's development toward comprehensive and lasting growth, and peace and security.

The core justification might seem evident.

Yet of course the past had directed the Spanish nation down a distinctly separate route.

Other than a several North African presences and a compact tropical possession – today's independent Equatorial Guinea – its colonial expansion in the 1500s and 1600s had primarily been focused toward the Americas.

Prospective Direction

The cultural dimension encompasses not only promotion of the Spanish language, with an expanded presence of the Cervantes Institute, but also programmes to help the mobility of educational instructors and investigators.

Security co-operation, initiatives concerning global warming, gender equality and an enhanced consular representation are unsurprising components in today's environment.

Nevertheless, the plan also puts notable focus it places on supporting democratic ideas, the continental organization and, in especial, the regional West African group the Economic Community of West African States.

This will be favorable governmental endorsement for the latter, which is presently facing significant challenges after witnessing its half-century celebration spoiled by the walk-out of the Sahel nations – the Sahel country, the West African state and the Nigerien Republic – whose ruling military juntas have declined to adhere with its protocol on democracy and good governance.

Simultaneously, in a communication directed equally toward the national citizenry as its African collaborators, the external affairs department declared "supporting the African diaspora and the struggle versus discrimination and xenophobia are also essential focuses".

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