Spain’s bid to impose its passport staff on Gibraltar in the Brexit spat could hurt The Rock’s economy, Britain fears
- Britain and Spain are currently engrossed in post-Brexit border negotiations
- If a deal is not reached, full and lengthy border controls could be put in place
Spain has insisted that its police force should be able to carry out passport checks on people arriving in Gibraltar, sparking fears in the UK that the economy of the British Overseas Territories would be hammered by the protocol.
Britain and Spain are currently engaged in protracted post-Brexit talks over Gibraltar’s relationship with the European Union and how people can cross the three-quarters of a mile (0.75 km) border freely and with minimal controls.
But Spain insists that for this to continue, the police must be able to check the passports of the average of 30,000 people who cross the border each day.
The UK has firmly opposed the proposed measure, with officials calling the move unnecessary and linked to Spain’s past harsh treatment of the area.
Failing an agreement, full and lengthy border controls could be put in place, which would be detrimental to the outpost’s economy.
But Spain insists that for this to continue, the police must be able to check the passports of the average of 30,000 people who cross the border each day.
A Spanish official told the FT that in order for people to cross the border, the country’s police had to carry out passport checks to gain access to the European free travel zone.
“To ensure smooth traffic between Gibraltar and Spain, there must be Schengen controls at the airport,” the Spanish official said.
‘There’s no doubt. It’s the only way. Passport checks must be carried out by the Policía Nacional.’
But British officials see no reason why this cannot be carried out by the EU border agency Frontex rather than the Spanish police.
Most people can freely cross the border under a current agreement submitted in 2020. They have to show their passport or ID to the border staff and then they can go through.
About half of Gibraltar’s jobs are filled by Spanish workers and if an agreement cannot be reached to allow border crossings, the outpost’s economy could be in jeopardy. In return, many in Gibraltar regularly cross the border for shopping and various leisure activities.
Following the British government’s Windsor Agreement, the renewed trade deal with Northern Ireland, British officials are now eager to resolve Gibraltar’s current border problem with Spain.
Most people can freely cross the Gibraltar border under a current agreement submitted in 2020
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and Gibraltar’s Prime Minister Fabian Picardo said they would plan for all contingencies, whether a deal is reached or not.
While British officials have expressed frustration, Spain said it was following normal protocol within the Schengen zone.
A Spanish official told the FT: ‘We didn’t ask for anything. It was the UK that voted for Brexit, which is a legitimate decision.”
To negotiate an alternative deal, some UK officials are interested in the proposal to post Spanish border guards at UK airports when departing for the outlet. The same process is carried out by the French authorities before boarding the Eurostar to Paris and Brussels.
The issue is further marred by the memory for many Gibraltarians of Spanish dictator Franco closing the border in 1969. It took another 16 years for it to reopen.