Spain and Gibraltar Celebrate Historic Border Deal Ending Post-Brexit Checks

BRUSSELS: Spain and Gibraltar marked the beginning of a new chapter in their relationship on Wednesday after a landmark post-Brexit agreement came into force, removing the physical border fence and ending routine land border checks between the British Overseas Territory and Spain.

The agreement, signed in Brussels by representatives of the United Kingdom, the European Union, Spain and Gibraltar, allows for the free movement of people and goods across the Gibraltar-Spain border while shifting immigration and Schengen checks to Gibraltar’s airport and seaport. The move is expected to significantly ease travel for around 15,000 Spanish workers who cross the border daily, as well as tourists and businesses operating on both sides.

Gibraltar Chief Minister Fabian Picardo described the accord as a “historic” milestone that secures the territory’s economic future while preserving British sovereignty. Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares hailed the treaty as the beginning of a new era of cooperation and shared prosperity for Gibraltar and Spain’s surrounding Andalusian region.

The agreement concludes years of complex negotiations following the United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union. Under the new framework, Gibraltar residents will be able to cross into Spain using residency cards without passport checks at the land border, while Spanish citizens may enter Gibraltar using their national identity cards. Schengen entry controls will instead be conducted at Gibraltar’s airport and port by Spanish authorities alongside Gibraltar officials.

The removal of the border fence, which had stood for more than a century, has been widely welcomed by residents and businesses on both sides as a major step toward improving regional integration, trade and economic stability. While the treaty does not alter the longstanding sovereignty dispute over Gibraltar, it is expected to strengthen cooperation between the United Kingdom, Spain and the European Union in the post-Brexit era.