New controls at Gibraltar's airport introduce fresh complications
Britain and the European Union have formally signed a treaty on Gibraltar's status in Brussels, with Spain taking over the territory's border checks.
The agreement was concluded following negotiations lasting three-and-a-half years before a deal was reached between Westminster and Brussels last June.
European Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič put pen to paper alongside British Minister of State for Europe Stephen Doughty, Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares and Gibraltar's Chief Minister Fabian Picardo.
Mr Šefčovič described the agreement as historic following the signing ceremony.
The treaty represents the most significant change for a British Overseas Territory since Hong Kong was returned to China in 1997.
It aims to ease border crossings between Gibraltar and Spain, resolving issues that emerged after Brexit left the territory outside the UK-EU trade deal that took effect at the end of 2020.
From midnight on Wednesday, the land border between Gibraltar and Spain will effectively disappear, making the Rock part of the EU's passport-free Schengen zone.
Border checkpoints and fences are being removed, enabling frictionless travel across a frontier used by approximately 15,000 people daily.
Gibraltarians will be able to enter Spain using residence cards without passport stamps, whilst Spanish citizens may cross with government identification.
However, new controls at Gibraltar's airport introduce fresh complications.
Air passengers must present their passports to Gibraltarian officials before facing Spanish border guards, who hold the final decision on entry to Schengen territory.
Britons will also be required to provide fingerprints under the EU's entry/exit system, which replaces traditional passport stamps with biometric checks.
Westminster hopes to establish arrangements similar to those governing French police at London St Pancras for Eurostar services.
Spanish officers acting on behalf of the EU will gain powers to board British warships and inspect RAF aircraft at Gibraltar's military base under a "special procedure" designed to protect the single market.
The UK must also inform Madrid of any weapons movements to the strategically vital installation, with arms required to be kept in designated secure storage facilities subject to verification by inspectors.
Spanish personnel will additionally be authorised to conduct surveillance at the airport and port, intercept unlawful crossings, detain illegal migrants and carry out deportations.
Conservative and Reform UK politicians have attacked the arrangement as a sacrifice of sovereignty, drawing comparisons to Sir Keir Starmer's handling of the Chagos Islands.
Mr Picardo rejected claims that the deal breached his pledge of "no Spanish boots on the ground", insisting guards would operate from a "Schengen shack" straddling both territories.
Mayor of La Línea Juan Franco, the Spanish municipality adjacent to Gibraltar, welcomed the removal of border controls as "very good news", particularly for the thousands who commute daily to work on the Rock.
"The alternative would have been a disaster," he said, noting that 11,000 residents of his city plus another 5,000 from surrounding areas depend on employment in Gibraltar.
Daisy Montero, a Colombian hotel worker who has crossed the border for two decades, expressed relief at escaping lengthy queues and what she described as unkind treatment from Spanish police during past crises.
Yet some Gibraltarians harbour concerns about security once controls vanish.
Mike Nicholls, chief executive of Chestertons estate agent, acknowledged the benefits but warned: "The people we don't want, the unsavory ones, may find it easier to come in."
New taxes will also affect businesses, with a flat 15 per cent transaction levy replacing current import duties.
