Gibraltar and Spain Eliminate Border Checks Under Historic UK-EU Treaty

Under a groundbreaking UK-EU agreement, Gibraltar and Spain have abolished routine border inspections, effectively removing the land border at 'The Rock' for the thousands who cross daily. This change was implemented just after midnight on Wednesday, allowing numerous individuals and vehicles to pass without customs checks for the first time. A crowd of several hundred gathered, waving Spanish flags as Gibraltar's Chief Minister, Fabian Picardo, proclaimed, "Europe is back." With a population of around 40,000, Gibraltar, a self-governing British territory at the Iberian Peninsula's southern tip, depends on approximately 15,500 workers who commute from Spain each day. The removal of border controls follows an agreement made between Brussels and London after the UK's departure from the EU in 2020.