Marrakech \u2013 Gibraltar\u2019s government announced last week the end of its ferry service to Morocco, operated by DFDS, formerly FRS. The decision is directly tied to new border arrangements set to take effect at the Gibraltar-Spain frontier under the EU-UK Treaty, with provisional application beginning July 15.<\/p>\n
The official statement described<\/a> the closure as \u201cthe end of an important chapter\u201d in Gibraltar-Morocco relations. The ferry had served for over two decades as the sole regular passenger link between the territory and Morocco.<\/p>\n Chief Minister Fabian Picardo framed the move within the broader treaty context. The existence of a regular ferry would require Spanish National Police officers to conduct permanent Schengen entry checks at Gibraltar\u2019s port.<\/p>\n By canceling the service, those controls become unnecessary at the port facility. Under the new treaty model, all police inspections will instead be concentrated at Gibraltar\u2019s airport.<\/p>\n Picardo had previously confirmed the government would not grant new licenses for regular passenger services to prevent the port from becoming \u201csubject to permanent Schengen controls.\u201d<\/p>\n He also argued the route had lost \u201ceconomic viability,\u201d noting that the \u201cimmense majority\u201d of travelers use the ports of Algeciras and Tarifa, which offer numerous daily connections to Morocco.<\/p>\n The Gibraltar ferry, he added, had been maintained through public subsidies and was used primarily by members of the Moroccan community who lacked British passports or Schengen visas to access Spain.<\/p>\n The ferry link dates back decades. Bland Line operated a regular service as early as the 1950s, and United Nations documents from 1976 recorded it as the only regular passenger service at Gibraltar\u2019s port. FRS began operating the route in 2005 before its integration into DFDS. The service was suspended during the pandemic and restored in 2022.<\/p>\n Cruise ships calling at Gibraltar will not be affected. Immigration controls for cruise passengers are conducted at embarkation and disembarkation ports, not during scheduled stops. Passengers arriving by sea on merchant vessels or during crew changes will be transferred to the airport\u2019s Schengen entry facilities.<\/p>\n Picardo acknowledged the closure \u201cwill be felt especially by our Moroccan community\u201d and described the community\u2019s contribution to Gibraltar\u2019s life, economy, and culture as \u201cenormous.\u201d<\/p>\n Minister John Cortes, who holds the Morocco relations portfolio, called the ferry \u201cmore than a means of travel,\u201d noting it was \u201ca familiar part of life, carrying workers and families in their everyday journeys across the Strait.\u201d<\/p>\n On the same day, the Ministry for Developing Relations with the Kingdom of Morocco issued<\/a> a travel advisory. It warned that Moroccan nationals traveling to Gibraltar through Spain will now need a Schengen visa under the new treaty arrangements.<\/p>\n The ministry urged family members planning summer visits to \u201cbegin the visa application process as early as possible,\u201d noting that appointment availability and processing times \u201cmay vary, particularly during the busy summer season.\u201d The advisory clarified that visa approval remains \u201centirely at the discretion of the competent Consular authorities.\u201d<\/p>\n Gibraltar\u2019s government pledged to continue supporting its Moroccan community and maintaining ties with the North African kingdom.<\/p>\n