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Gibraltar border fence to be dismantled 10 years after Brexit vote
🇵🇾 Paraguay /Economy & Trade

Gibraltar border fence to be dismantled 10 years after Brexit vote

From ABC Color · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News From a news agency New plan
  • The border fence between Gibraltar and Spain will be dismantled this week, ending over five years of negotiations following the Brexit referendum.
  • Gibraltar will join the Schengen Area for free movement under Spain's umbrella, with border controls shifting to the port and airport.
  • The removal of the fence, originally erected in 1909, signifies the end of a long period of uncertainty for residents and cross-border workers.

A physical and emotional barrier for residents on both sides of the border is set to disappear this week. The fence separating Gibraltar from Spain, a symbol of the Brexit fallout, will be dismantled following over five years of negotiations. This development marks the end of a long period of uncertainty for the 34,000 residents of the British territory, who overwhelmingly voted against Brexit in 2016, and the nearly 300,000 inhabitants of Spain's Campo de Gibraltar.

the demolition of one of the world's smallest border crossings and a physical and emotional barrier for the inhabitants of both sides.

— EFEDescribing the significance of the border fence's removal.

The agreement, set to be signed in Brussels, will see Gibraltar join the Schengen Area for free movement, with Spain acting as its guarantor. This means border controls will be relocated to Gibraltar's port and airport, rather than a land border. The move is particularly significant for the 15,000 cross-border workers who commute daily between Spain and Gibraltar.

the colony will become part of the Schengen Area of free movement under Spain, as the United Kingdom is not part of this alliance.

— EFEExplaining the implications of the new treaty for Gibraltar's status.

The fence itself has a long history, first erected in 1909 as a temporary measure to contain a yellow fever epidemic. It became a more permanent structure over time, and in 1969, under Francisco Franco's regime, it was closed for 13 years, transforming it into a symbol of division. Its removal signifies a new chapter, moving away from the fear of a "hard" border towards open passage.

it is difficult for those who cross it every day to imagine that from next Wednesday everything will be an open street for pedestrians and vehicles.

— EFEReflecting the local sentiment about the impending changes.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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