A new era began between Spain and the British territory of Gibraltar on Wednesday, as border checks that have long been a source of tension and frustration were finally lifted. An agreement reached between Brussels and London following Britain's exit from the European Union in 2020 has now eliminated these controls. Several dozen people and vehicles crossed the border from Spain for the first time without undergoing customs checks a few minutes after midnight. Several hundred people gathered for the occasion, waving Spanish flags, while Gibraltar's Chief Minister, Fabian Picardo, announced: "Europe is back."
Gibraltar, a self-governing British territory at the southernmost tip of the Iberian peninsula, is home to about 40,000 people but relies on some 15,500 workers who cross from Spain every day. During rush hours, long lines often formed at the land border as documents were checked, especially during periods of tension between Britain and Spain, which claims sovereignty over the territory, known as "The Rock".
The deal was signed on Tuesday in Brussels. EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic took part in the signing ceremony alongside British and Spanish ministers as well as Gibraltar's Picardo. In a radio interview beforehand, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said the agreement "opens a new era" for Gibraltar and the adjoining region of Spain, that will create "enormous opportunities".
A smoother border will make it easier for Gibraltar businesses to recruit and retain workers who live in Spain, as the "hassle" of crossing the frontier can be "significant", said Owen Smith, head of the Gibraltar Federation of Small Businesses. "It's been a big factor in retention, and certainly a fluid border is going to make life much easier," he said, calling it "very, very positive". The agreement will align Gibraltar with the rules of Europe's passport-free Schengen travel area. It was reached after years of talks between Spain, Britain and the EU.
Travellers arriving from outside the Schengen zone will still have to show their passports to officials at Gibraltar's airport and port. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is set to visit the frontier zone on Wednesday, where workers have in recent weeks taken down the old chain-link fencing separating the two sides. He has hailed the new arrangements as bringing down "the last wall" inside the EU, saying they would create a zone of shared prosperity. Picardo has described the agreement as removing "the physical barriers of a bygone era of friction" while keeping "the keys to our own front door".
The border was closed by Spanish dictator Francisco Franco in 1969 after Gibraltar, which relies on London for defence and foreign policy, voted overwhelmingly in a referendum to remain British. The closure, which lasted 13 years, cut off the daily movement of workers from Spain into Gibraltar and separated families. Since then, long queues have repeatedly formed at the Gibraltar-Spain border when diplomatic tensions over the territory's sovereignty have led to tighter controls by Spain. With an economy based on financial services and online gaming, Gibraltar -- which covers just under seven square kilometres (2.7 square miles) -- has one of the highest per capita incomes in the world. It has long been a lifeline for people who live in Campo de Gibraltar, which has historically had one of Spain's highest jobless rates.
