Gibraltar ushers in new era as British territory’s border fence with Spain removed | World News

Spain and Gibraltar are celebrating the removal of a border checkpoint following a historic treaty between the EU and the UK.

As the clock struck midnight into Wednesday morning, crowds rejoiced as they crossed freely in both directions between Spain’s La Linea de la Concepcion and the British territory of Gibraltar.

The removal of the border fence comes after years of post-Brexit wrangling.

Ahead of the official opening, Spain’s win over France in the World Cup semi-final added to the celebratory mood.

“What you feel here is the brotherhood between the two people,” Gibraltar’s chief minister Fabian Picardo told Spanish broadcaster RTVE.

The contested British Overseas Territory of 38,000 people is perched at the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula, in a strategic location mere miles from Morocco where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Mediterranean Sea.

When Britain left the EU in 2020, the relationship between Gibraltar and the bloc was left unresolved.

Previous talks in a bid to ensure people and goods could keep flowing across the border had made halting progress.

In 2025, the EU and UK made a deal on these issues, with the two sides and Gibraltar’s government signing a treaty on Tuesday that eases border crossings.

Stephen Doughty, the UK’s overseas territories minister, said the agreement secured Gibraltar’s long-term economic future and interests.

Maros Sefcovic, the European commissioner for trade and economic security, praised the agreement too.

He said: “It has taken four years of patient, complex negotiation, but the outcome speaks for itself. It is a very special feeling to see a fence come down.”

Without a deal, Gibraltar could have a faced a hard land border with full passport checks, posing economic risks for the territory deeply dependent on some 15,000 Spaniards – almost half Gibraltar’s workforce – who cross the frontier every day for work.

Mendez Segura, 51, crossed into Gibraltar on Wednesday for work, unused to the newfound freedom of movement.

“I’ve been crossing over and working in Gibraltar all my life with my identity card,” the home care worker said.

“I know you’ll be able to cross without it, but it’s just what I’m used to.”

Leisure visits should also be made easier.

Mr Picardo said: “People who are visiting family in Spain, or whose Spanish family is visiting them in Gibraltar. Children who are going to football matches and extracurricular activities, either in Spain or in Gibraltar. They will be able to do that without having to worry about frontier queues.”

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The deal in effect brings the territory into the EU’s Schengen free travel area.

At Gibraltar’s airport and port, entry and exit checks will be conducted by both UK and Spanish border officials.

The arrangement is similar to what’s in place at Eurostar railway stations in London and Paris, where both British and French officials check passports.

With the border fence gone, Gibraltar officials have set up live facial recognition cameras at entry points and throughout the territory.

Mr Picardo said there will be many more CCTV cameras and an increased police presence, as well as resources for customs and coastguard agencies.

“The fortress has become a digital fortress now,” he said.