Gibraltar Border Falls After 117 Years

After 117 years, the border dividing the Campo de Gibraltar and requiring passport controls for thousands of workers has been definitively removed. The dismantling of the border marks the end of the last physical border on continental Europe and aims to provide stability to a territory long embroiled in a sovereignty dispute, including a 13-year closure under the Franco regime.

The agreement between the United Kingdom and the European Union follows a decade after the Brexit vote and resolves a final point of contention after the issue of Northern Ireland. The new arrangement includes a 15% tax on imports intended to align with Spain’s VAT rates.

While the agreement offers legal certainty to the over 15,000 workers who cross the border daily, 70% of whom are Spanish, it doesn’t immediately resolve issues like lower pensions for Spanish cross-border workers or differing environmental regulations. However, authorities believe the removal of the border offers an unprecedented opportunity for the region, despite ongoing challenges with unemployment and drug trafficking.