Thousands of workers crossing daily between Spain and Gibraltar will enter a new era of easier travel, as border checks that have long been a source of tension are lifted.
Home to only around 40,000 people, the tiny self-governing British overseas territory at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula relies on about 15,500 daily cross-border workers from Spain, who make up nearly half of its workforce.
During rush hours, long lines can form at the land border, and documents are checked, especially during periods of tension between Britain and Spain, which claims sovereignty over Gibraltar.
But under an agreement reached between Brussels and London following Britain’s exit from the European Union, border controls between Gibraltar and Spain will be eliminated from Wednesday.
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 Chief Minister Fabian Picardo.
In a radio interview ahead of the signing, 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”.
Easier life
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.
