BRITAIN & EU SEAL POST-BREXIT DEAL – Easing Gibraltar border flow
The European Union (EU) and Britain have reached an agreement on the status of the overseas territory of Gibraltar, which facilitates border crossings and ends years of political uncertainty, British Foreign Minister David Lammy and Gibraltar Chief Minister Fabian Picardo told media in Brussels.
Gibraltar, a British territory at the southern tip of Spain, has been a key issue in negotiations since the UK voted to leave the EU in 2016. At the heart of the dispute is how its border with Spain should be managed.
Talks have continued without an agreement since Britain officially left the EU in 2020 over the territory’s status and border with Spain.
Gibraltar residents can cross using their residence cards without needing to have their passports stamped. Spanish citizens can cross using a government ID card.
Passport controls have occasionally been re-established, but often cause massive queues for up to 15,000 cross-border workers.
Under Wednesday’s agreement, those arriving at Gibraltar airport will show their passports to both Gibraltar and Spanish border officers.
Lammy said the system would follow a similar model to French police operating in London’s St. Pancras station, where the Eurostar train service connecting Britain with mainland Europe runs from.
