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The newly-agreed, UK-EU settlement for Gibraltar protects jobs, stability and proud British identity.
Gibraltar has reached a pivotal moment following the recent publication of our draft UK-EU Agreement on the future of the proudly British territory. This text marks an extraordinary milestone. Politicians from both the left and the right, diplomats and legal experts have worked together tirelessly on this treaty for almost half a decade.
They understood that this treaty was necessary and could be agreed upon without crossing any red lines. The alternative would harm a 38,000-strong British community that wants to live in peace, harmony and prosperity with its neighbours.
Claims that implementing this treaty would compromise our sovereignty or allow Spanish boots on the ground “patrolling Gibraltar” are totally inaccurate and mischaracterise the proposed legal position and the operational reality. Three respected legal authorities – Lord Pannick, Sir Peter Caruana and Dr Jamie Trinidad – have all confirmed that the proposed treaty makes no concessions of legal sovereignty to Spain, or any other entity.
Yet some hardline Brexiteers have rubbished the document as a “betrayal”. Details of the text have been misreported in some sections of the UK media.
Let’s be clear: these slurs do not spring from any concern for Gibraltar’s wellbeing or aspirations. Rather, they are an attempt to use Gibraltar as a pawn in a domestic UK debate.
Under this treaty, there will be no Spanish police patrolling Gibraltar’s airport or port. Checks will not take place outside of the airport facility that straddles the frontier, already nicknamed the ‘Schengen Shack’. These checks exist to identify paedophiles, terrorists, serious violent offenders and those involved in large-scale money-laundering or people-smuggling. We do not want such people in Gibraltar.
For most people, including British citizens, this scrutiny changes nothing about their ability to travel freely.
Some critics in UK media appear not even to have a basic grasp of the geography of the Rock. This will be the only authorised border crossing point. Assertions about patrols “between crossing points” ignore the simple fact that there will be no multiple crossing points to patrol between.
Suggestions that UK citizens could be denied entry to Gibraltar by Spanish officials are also misleading. Gibraltar will retain full control over its own immigration and entry rules. The right to enter Gibraltar has always been governed by Gibraltar law. UK nationals have never had an automatic right to reside in Gibraltar.
The crux of the matter is that Gibraltar’s community and economy are intertwined with the surrounding region. Around 15,000 people cross the frontier every day to work in Gibraltar. They are essential to our hospitals, care sector, construction industry, hospitality businesses and our wider economy. A treaty is a practical necessity to keep fluid movement across the frontier and protect the fabric of a vibrant, multicultural community.
After Brexit, doing nothing would have left Gibraltar with a hard border: delays of up to six hours would have inflicted a devastating cost. Compared to a non-negotiated outcome, this treaty could open economic value worth an estimated £200m per year for Gibraltar, equivalent to roughly 6 per cent of our GDP.
Critics who claim this treaty is being imposed on Gibraltarians could not be more wrong. This is democracy in action: the people of Gibraltar have overwhelmingly made clear they want this treaty. The alliance I lead won the last election in Gibraltar on a pledge to deliver it. And Gibraltar will pick up the bill for implementing this treaty – it will not cost UK taxpayers a penny.
Gibraltar has always been loyal to Britain. Our loyalty is rock solid and should never be questioned.
Ratifying the UK-EU treaty for Gibraltar will be about protecting a community, securing jobs and ensuring stability in a complex post-Brexit world. For us, it is simple: British we are, British we stay, and we can continue to work with the EU without compromising that.
Fabian Picardo KC MP is the Chief Minister of Gibraltar and Leader of the Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party
