Spain is kicking against the prevailing political mood among Western nations when it comes to migration and policies regarding the African continent.
At a time when the US, the UK, France, and Germany are all cutting back their development aid budgets, Madrid remains committed to continued expansion, albeit from a lower starting point.
This week, the Spanish capital has been hosting an African Union-backed 'world conference on people of African descent.' AfroMadrid2025 will discuss restorative justice and the creation of a new development fund.
It is just the latest sign of how Spain's socialist-led government is seeking to deepen and diversify its engagement with the continent and its near neighbor that lies just a few kilometers south, across the Straits of Gibraltar.
In July, Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares launched a new advisory council of prominent intellectual, diplomatic, and cultural figures, more than half of them African, to monitor the delivery of the detailed Spain-Africa strategy that his government published at the end of last year.
New embassies south of the Sahara, and partnerships in business and education are planned.
The contrast between Spain's approach and that of others in the West is not just in spending but in tone and mindset – and nowhere more so than in dealing with migration.
Similar to elsewhere in Europe, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is looking for ways to contain the influx of irregular arrivals.
Like other center-left and center-right leaders, he faces an electoral challenge from the radical right, largely driven by some voters' concerns over migration, with the hardline Vox party well established in parliament and routinely ranking third in opinion polls.
In July, extra security forces had to be deployed against racist thugs roaming the streets of Torre Pacheco, where many Africans work in the booming horticultural sector, after three Moroccans were accused of beating a pensioner.
The Spanish administration must accommodate new arrivals, process their claims, and manage their absorption into wider society, whether temporary or more long-lasting.
However, in language markedly different from the hostile messaging that emanates from many European capitals, the Sanchez government openly acknowledges the hard economic realities in West Africa that push people to risk their lives to reach Europe.
And it is trying to move beyond simply saying 'no' to new arrivals. Instead, it is developing creative alternatives, promising to foster movements of people that are safe, orderly, and regular.
On his trip to Mauritania last year, Sanchez stressed the contribution migrants make to the Spanish economy. 'For us, the migratory phenomenon is not only a question of moral principles, solidarity, and dignity, but also one of rationality,' he said.
The Spanish government funds training schemes for unemployed youth in countries such as Senegal, especially for irregular migrants who have been sent back, to help them develop viable new livelihoods back home.
Moreover, it has expanded a 'circular migration' program that gives West Africans short-term visas to come to Spain for seasonal work and then return.
The underlying case for this approach was laid out in the foreign ministry's Spain-Africa strategy, arguing that Europe and Africa 'form part of the same geopolitical space.' Yet, the management of migration is only one motive for the Spanish decision to emphasize building relations with Africa.
Spain sees itself as having a vested interest in Africa's progress toward inclusive and sustainable development, peace, and security. This perspective diverges significantly from its historical focus, which largely prioritized Latin America.
With a significant emphasis on educational initiatives, economic sectors, and cultural cooperation, the Sanchez government is steering toward a more inclusive and cooperative partnership with Africa that reflects the realities of both regions.
