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Britain and the EU have reached a new Brexit agreement under which Gibraltar will open its borders with Spain, eliminate passport controls with the EU, and join the EU customs union.
The British Overseas Territory will effectively join the EU’s Schengen passport-free area for the first time — meaning smoother crossings for the 15,000 people who commute across its borders daily, News.Az reports citing Politico.
Speaking in Brussels on Wednesday, EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič described the agreement as a “truly historic milestone” that would remove “all physical barriers, checks and controls on people and goods” crossing the border while bringing legal certainty.
Gibraltar’s government has sought such a deal for years — complaining that border crossings have become more onerous since Brexit, to the detriment of people living and working in the territory.
Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said the agreement meant that “the last wall on continental Europe” would disappear and free movement of people would reign.