There will be no more fences or barriers between Spain and Gibraltar. More long tails to cross the double border control for the 15,000 workers who commute every day. More political dispute on the exploitation of the small airport located on the isthmus – a territory not included in the Treaty of Utrecht (1713) by which Spain ceded the “rock” to England – which should open the door to direct links with the rest of the European Union (EU).
Nine years after Brexit, and after four years of harsh negotiations, Spain, the United Kingdom and the European Commission signed, Wednesday, June 11, a “Definitive political agreement” on “Fundamental aspects” of “Future treaty between the EU and the United Kingdom concerning Gibraltar”. Which should then be ratified by British and Gibraltarian parliaments.
This framework provides for the entry of Gibraltar into the Schenghen space to allow the free movement of people. This is the last point of Brexit which remained to be settled. The abolition of land borders implies that arrivals and departures within the airport and port will be both controlled by the Gibraltar police and by the Spanish police as a European border police. A solution similar to “Model of what the French police do in the London station of Saint-Pancras for the Eurostar passengers”said Foreign Office.
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Source: Lemonde