Pact eliminates controls on the earth’s border and binds the British territory to the Schengen area, benefiting 15,000 people who pass by daily
The United Kingdom and Spain have closed an agreement on the future of Gibraltar, British territory in the southern Iberian Peninsula. The pact was announced in Brussels on Wednesday (11.Jun.2025) by the British Foreign Ministers, David Lammy, and Spanish, José Manuel Albares, along with Gibraltar Chief Minister, Fabian Picardo.
The agreement binds Gibraltar to the Schengen area and eliminates verifications on the land border between the territory and Spain. It also establishes double passport controls at the airport.
Negotiations on Gibraltar’s border rules were intermittently performed since the United Kingdom left the EU (European Union) in 2020, which left the territory outside the Customs Union of the EU and without guarantee of free circulation.
About 15,000 people cross the land border daily, including thousands of workers who live in Spain and work in Gibraltar. The agreement mainly benefits the residents of the territory, the transfrontic workers and the British tourists.
According to the terms of the pact, the Schengen rules will be applied to the British who come to Gibraltar and are not residents of the territory. They can be prevented from entering if 90 days have been spent in the Schengen area for a period of 180 days.
The Spanish border police, based on Porto and Gibraltar airport, may refuse access to British citizens who have violated these rules.
Gibraltar is a British territory, but is self -government in all areas except defense and foreign policy. Spain claims the area. In a referendum held in 2002, 99% of inhabitants rejected a proposal for sovereignty sharing with Spain.
