Key facts
- Gibraltar and Spain have removed their border fence and lifted border checks.
- A new EU-UK treaty has been implemented, integrating Gibraltar into the Schengen Area.
- Spain will be responsible for Schengen controls at Gibraltar's airport and port.
- The border fence, in place since 1908, has been removed.
Spain and Gibraltar have celebrated the removal of their border fence following the implementation of a new post-Brexit treaty between the UK and the EU. The agreement, signed in Brussels, eliminates border controls and customs checks, creating a fluid frontier and integrating Gibraltar into the Schengen Area.
The deal, which came into effect at midnight, marks the conclusion of over four years of negotiations. Spain will now be responsible for Schengen controls at Gibraltar’s airport and port. The removal of the border fence, which had physically separated the two territories since 1908, signifies an end to long queues and a new era of cooperation.
Gibraltar's Chief Minister Fabian Picardo hailed the treaty, stating it does not affect the territory’s British sovereignty and marks the beginning of a new era of cooperation and shared opportunity. Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares described the deal as a "historic agreement" that would ensure mutual prosperity and open a "new era of coexistence."
Under the terms of the deal, Britons flying into Gibraltar will have to pass through the EU’s new entry/exit system (EES), which involves fingerprint and face scans. The border was previously closed by Spanish dictator Francisco Franco in 1969, separating families and workers for 13 years until it reopened in 1982.