Spain and Gibraltar celebrate the end of border controls after historic deal

Spain and Gibraltar are celebrating the fall of the last border fence in Western Europe after signing a post-Brexit deal. The deal will eliminate border controls for residents, tourists and the thousands of Spanish workers who enter the British overseas territory every day.

The deal, signed in Brussels on Tuesday and coming into force at midnight, ends more than four years of negotiations between the UK, Spain, Gibraltar and the European Union following Britain’s departure from the bloc, The Guardian reported.

The deal will abolish border and customs checks and give Spain responsibility for enforcing Schengen zone controls at Gibraltar airport and port. It has also led to the removal of the border fence that has physically separated Spain and Gibraltar since 1908. Under the previous system, long queues formed at the border during peak hours, especially during periods of high tensions between Madrid and London.

Gibraltar, which was ceded to the British Crown in the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713, is home to only around 40,000 people and is heavily dependent on the 15,000 Spanish workers who enter the territory every day. Gibraltar is also economically vital to the neighbouring Andalusian region of Campo de Gibraltar.