The European Union, the United Kingdom, Spain, and Gibraltar signed a historic post-Brexit treaty in Brussels on Tuesday, to eliminate routine immigration checks at the Gibraltar-Spain land border. Under the agreement, which takes effect provisionally on Wednesday, the physical land frontier and its century-old fence will be dismantled to establish fluid transit for thousands of daily workers and tourists.
The accord relocates passport controls to Gibraltar’s airport and seaport, where they will be jointly managed by Gibraltar and European Union authorities under the Frontex framework. Despite the unprecedented integration, Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares stressed that Spain’s ratification does not alter its historical claim over the territory. The treaty includes an explicit “without prejudice” clause protecting the respective legal and sovereignty positions of both Britain and Spain.
British and Gibraltarian officials welcomed the landmark pact, highlighting that it successfully preserves the enclave’s self-governing jurisdiction while ending six years of severe post-Brexit economic and diplomatic friction.
