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Spain’s government approved a decree on Tuesday regulating parts of its relationship with citizens of the British overseas territory of Gibraltar after the Brexit transition period ends on January 1.
The measures approved by the cabinet of the Socialist Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, allow Gibraltarians to continue occupying positions in the Spanish public sector, pursue professions that require residence in the EU and study at Spanish universities, among other issues.
But the announcement comes as Madrid warns that it will tighten border controls with Gibraltar if it cannot reach an agreement with the UK on free movement between Spain and the territory before the transition period ends.
“If there is no agreement, Gibraltar will become the external border of the EU. That means more controls, waiting times and costs, “warned Arancha González, Spain’s foreign minister on Monday. “Although on a smaller scale, one of the consequences could be queues similar to what we have seen in Dover.”
Gibraltar was not covered by the Brexit deal reached between the EU and the UK last week. Consequently, in the absence of a separate agreement, border crossings could require passport stamps, while Gibraltar residents could lose Spanish social security and other benefits.
Arancha González, Spain’s foreign minister, warned on Monday that a strict border between Spain and Gibraltar would be imposed if an agreement could not be reached before January 1 © Emilio Naranjo / EPA-EFE / Shutterstock
Approximately 15,000 people cross the border to work every day © A Carrasco Ragel / EPA-EFE / Shutterstock
Gibraltar seeks closer ties with the EU than before Brexit, with almost unlimited movement between it and Spain, while Ms González said the Spanish “vision” was to “remove the border fence”. In effect, this would make Gibraltar part of the Schengen area of free movement and would make the Gibraltar airport and port the EU border. But negotiations have stalled over how those entries to the bloc will be controlled and by whom.
Spain has indicated that it would be willing to allow agents of the EU border agency Frontex to control the passage through the airport and the port, as a temporary confidence-building measure. But he insists that those guards should inform the Spanish authorities and that Spain, as a member of the EU, would be in charge of the EU’s external border. The Gibraltar government, for its part, has made it clear that it will not accept Spanish officials to control its borders.
The subject is especially sensitive due to the sovereignty dispute that has continued since Gibraltar was ceded to Great Britain under the Treaty of Utrecht of 1713.
Ms. González insisted that Spain would continue negotiating until the “last minute” of 2020, but warned that “there was no plan B” except for a hard border if a movement agreement was not reached.
For his part, the Prime Minister of Gibraltar, Fabián Picardo, told the Financial Times: “We are very close to an agreement. I am optimistic. I won’t be drawn to what happens if we don’t have a deal. I will keep working to make sure we have one that is safe and win-win. “
The threat of a firm border is a particularly acute concern for workers in the region. Approximately 15,000 people cross the border to work every day, most of them going from the Spanish side to the Gibraltarian side. Any damage to the regional economy caused by a change in the way the border is policed could be devastating for them, as job prospects are slim in the Spanish border area of Campo de Gibraltar, where unemployment is approaching 40 percent. hundred.
On Monday, the mayors of the eight towns that make up the Campo de Gibraltar demanded an “urgent and positive” agreement to avoid the “dire economic, social and political consequences that the lack of agreement would entail.”
