"End of the Ordeal": Spain-Gibraltar Border Now Unrestricted

After more than a century, the border barrier between Spain and Gibraltar has served its purpose. As of midnight, there are no longer any border controls between the EU country and the British Overseas Territory. The dismantling of the iconic, approximately one-kilometer-long iron fence—erected in 1908—was ceremonially launched just a few hours after the checks ended. The two main gates were the first to be dismantled.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez attended the ceremony and spoke of a “historic day” and the “fall of the last wall in continental Europe.” Referring to Britain’s occupation of Gibraltar in 1704, Sánchez emphasized that the removal of the border barrier would heal a “wound spanning three centuries” and usher in “a new era full of opportunities and hope” for the region.

This step was made possible by the agreement reached in February between the European Union and the United Kingdom, which took effect on Wednesday. Effective immediately, people and goods will be able to cross the land border without the previous checks. To this end, Gibraltar will be closely integrated into the Schengen Area and subject to new customs regulations with the EU. Passport controls will only be conducted at Gibraltar’s airport and port.

Waiting times of several hours

The changes will primarily benefit the more than 15,000 cross-border commuters who travel daily between the economically disadvantaged Spanish town of La Línea de la Concepción in the Andalusian province of Cádiz and Gibraltar, primarily to work there. They often had to put up with long wait times at the border, especially during rush hour. The agreement is also intended to facilitate economic cooperation in the region.

Consuelo, a Spanish medical assistant who has been crossing the border for 30 years to work in Gibraltar, is very happy: “I used to have to wait three or four hours—and on some days even longer, up to seven hours. That ordeal is finally over,” she told the TV station RTVE.

The dispute over sovereignty continues

Paradoxically, it was Brexit, of all things, that paved the way for the agreement. Although about 96 percent of Gibraltar’s 34,000 residents had voted to remain in the EU in the 2016 referendum, the British Overseas Territory was required to leave the Union along with the United Kingdom.

After years of negotiations, the parties finally reached a compromise that facilitates cross-border traffic without, however, resolving the sovereignty dispute. Spain continues to regard Gibraltar, located at the southern tip of the country, as a “colony” and an illegally occupied territory.

"The agreement ensures the long-term flow of people and goods across the border, while protecting the sovereignty of the United Kingdom and Gibraltar's constitutional status," said a spokeswoman for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

When the Dictator Closed the Border

British media described the move as the biggest change in Gibraltar's status since it became part of the United Kingdom. It is ironic that Brexit, of all things, led to this, wrote the website "Politico."

The dispute repeatedly led to tensions between Madrid and London. In 1969, the dictator Francisco Franco even closed the border. It was not until 1982 that it was reopened to pedestrians, and three years later—a decade after the Spanish dictator’s death—it was reopened to vehicles as well.

The territory, which covers just 6.5 square kilometers—roughly the size of the East Frisian island of Baltrum—is known for its wild Barbary macaques and the Rock of Gibraltar, and has been a bone of contention between Madrid and London for more than three centuries. It was taken over by Great Britain in 1704 and ceded to Spain in 1713 as part of the “Treaty of Utrecht.”