🔗 Share this article Spain's Distinctive Approach to African Migration The Spanish government is pursuing a distinctly different direction from several Western nations when it comes to immigration strategies and relations toward the continent of Africa. Although nations including the USA, United Kingdom, French Republic and Federal Republic of Germany are slashing their development aid budgets, Spain continues dedicated to expanding its engagement, even from a lower starting point. Current Programs Currently, the capital city has been welcoming an African Union-backed "global summit on individuals with African heritage". The Madrid African conference will examine restorative justice and the formation of a fresh assistance program. This demonstrates the newest evidence of how Madrid's leadership is attempting to strengthen and broaden its involvement with the continent that lies just a few kilometres to the southern direction, beyond the Gibraltar passage. Governmental Approach This past summer Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares established a recent guidance panel of prominent intellectual, foreign service and cultural figures, over 50 percent of them African, to supervise the execution of the thorough Spain-Africa strategy that his leadership released at the close of the prior year. New embassies south of the Sahara, and collaborations in business and academic are planned. Migration Management The distinction between Madrid's strategy and that of others in the West is not just in spending but in attitude and philosophy – and especially noticeable than in handling immigration. Like other European locations, Administration Head Madrid's chief executive is looking for ways to control the influx of undocumented migrants. "In our view, the immigration situation is not only a question of moral principles, solidarity and honor, but also one of rationality," the government leader stated. More than 45,000 people undertook the dangerous ocean journey from Africa's west coast to the overseas region of the Atlantic islands last year. Calculations of those who lost their lives while making the attempt vary from 1,400 to a staggering 10,460. Workable Approaches The Spanish administration has to accommodate fresh migrants, process their claims and handle their incorporation into broader community, whether temporary or more enduring. Nonetheless, in terminology distinctly separate from the hostile messaging that emanates from numerous EU governments, the Spanish administration frankly admits the challenging monetary conditions on the territory in the West African region that push people to risk their lives in the attempt to attain EU territory. Furthermore, it attempts to transcend simply denying access to new arrivals. Conversely, it is designing original solutions, with a commitment to foster movements of people that are safe, organized and standardized and "reciprocally advantageous". Commercial Cooperation During his visit to the West African nation last year, the Spanish leader highlighted the contribution that migrants provide for the Iberian economic system. Madrid's administration supports educational programs for unemployed youth in nations including the West African country, especially for unauthorized persons who have been repatriated, to assist them in creating workable employment options in their homeland. Furthermore, it increased a "circular migration" scheme that gives West Africans short-term visas to enter Spanish territory for defined timeframes of temporary employment, primarily in farming, and then return. Policy Significance The basic concept underlying Spain's engagement is that the European country, as the continental nation most proximate to the mainland, has an crucial domestic priority in the region's development toward equitable and enduring progress, and peace and security. This fundamental reasoning might seem obvious. However the past had directed the Spanish nation down a quite different path. Besides a limited Mediterranean outposts and a minor equatorial territory – presently autonomous the Gulf of Guinea country – its colonial expansion in the 16th and 17th Centuries had mainly been directed across the Atlantic. Prospective Direction The cultural dimension incorporates not only dissemination of the national tongue, with an enhanced representation of the language promotion body, but also programmes to help the mobility of academic teachers and scholars. Protection partnership, initiatives concerning global warming, gender equality and an enhanced consular representation are predictable aspects in contemporary circumstances. However, the plan also lays very public stress it assigns to assisting democratic values, the African Union and, in specific, the West African regional organization the West African economic bloc. This constitutes positive official support for the latter, which is presently facing significant challenges after seeing its 50th anniversary year tainted by the walk-out of the Sahel nations – the West African nation, the Malian Republic and the Nigerien Republic – whose controlling military regimes have chosen not to follow with its agreement regarding democratic governance and proper administration. Simultaneously, in a statement directed equally toward the national citizenry as its continental allies, the international relations office declared "supporting the African diaspora and the battle against prejudice and xenophobia are also crucial objectives". Eloquent statements of course are only a initial phase. But in the current negative global atmosphere such language really does stand out.