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A new agreement requires British travellers crossing into Gibraltar to present their passports to Spanish border officials, aiming to eliminate previous checks at the land border shared with Spain. This arrangement intends to provide clarity and stability for the British overseas territory nearly ten years after Brexit cast uncertainty over its status.
The urgency to reach this deal grew as new border controls for entering the passport-free Schengen area, which includes Spain and 28 other countries, were due to be fully implemented in April. Although Gibraltar will not become an official part of the Schengen zone, Spanish authorities will conduct secondary Schengen-style border inspections in a designated zone, following the initial checks performed by officials from Gibraltar. According to the treaty, Spanish border guards will be empowered to arrest, search, and interview travellers when justified during border control processes.
One of the significant outcomes anticipated from this system is the eventual removal of the “La Verja,” the 1.2-kilometre chain-link fence dividing Gibraltar from Spain—a barrier daily crossed by about half of Gibraltar’s workforce. Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares described this change as the disappearance of “the last wall in continental Europe.” The UK government compared the new border procedures to those at London’s St Pancras station, where travellers on Eurostar trains undergo checks by both British and French immigration officials.
Since Brexit, Spanish authorities have permitted Gibraltar residents to cross the border without passport stamps, though occasional grievances have arisen regarding stricter checks by Spanish police. The UK expressed concern that Spain’s planned implementation of the EU’s automated biometric border system at Gibraltar’s frontier in April would have serious negative economic effects. Fabian Picardo, Gibraltar’s Chief Minister, welcomed the agreement, emphasizing that it offers “the certainty our people and businesses need.” The territory aims to begin provisional application of the deal on 10 April, coinciding with the EU’s plan to activate its new border system after previous delays.
In the UK Parliament, Foreign Office Minister Stephen Doughty hailed the agreement as demonstrating “a new era of co-operation” between the EU and the UK under the current Labour government. However, Conservative shadow minister Wendy Morton called for “proper scrutiny” of the treaty, raising concerns about how to prevent “operational overreach” by Spanish police.
Regarding the movement of goods, the deal stipulates that most items destined for Gibraltar will be cleared by EU customs officials in Spain to prevent customs checks at the land border. Additionally, the UK and EU have agreed to provide financial support toward a fund focused on “training and employment” in the Spanish regions neighboring Gibraltar.
Although Gibraltar was excluded from the UK’s 2021 trade agreement with the EU, this treaty fills an essential gap, described by the UK as the “last piece of the EU exit jigsaw.” The current document formalizes the political understanding reached between the UK and EU in June of the previous year, detailing how the new arrangements will operate in practice. While the draft has been published to allow for final legal review and translation, it must still be ratified by both the UK and European Parliaments before coming into full effect
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