A new chapter has begun between Spain and Gibraltar after border checks that had been a long-running source of disputes and daily frustration were removed. The change took effect after midnight on Wednesday, allowing people and vehicles to cross between the two sides without the previous customs controls.
Dozens of people and cars crossed from Spain into Gibraltar shortly after the new rules came into force, while several hundred people gathered at the border to mark the occasion. Many waved Spanish flags, and Gibraltar’s Chief Minister Fabian Picardo described the moment with the words: “Europe is back.”
Gibraltar, a self-governing British territory located at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula, has a population of around 40,000 people but depends heavily on workers from neighboring Spain. Around 15,500 people cross the border every day to work in the territory.
For years, long queues were a common sight, especially during periods of political tension between London and Madrid over Gibraltar’s sovereignty. The territory, known as “The Rock,” has remained under British control since it was ceded by Spain in the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht, but Madrid has continued to claim ownership.
