Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has hailed the removal of border controls between Spain and Gibraltar as the closing of ‘an open wound’, describing the moment as a historic turning point after the frontier separating the British territory from mainland Europe was dismantled.
The lifting of routine border checks came into force at midnight on Wednesday following a landmark agreement between the United Kingdom and the European Union, signed in Brussels on Tuesday after years of negotiations prompted by Brexit. ALSO READ: Gibraltar enters new era as landmark treaty removes historic border barrier.
By Wednesday morning, pedestrians and vehicles were crossing freely in both directions between Gibraltar and the neighbouring Spanish town of La Línea de la Concepción, with many recording the historic occasion on their mobile phones. Celebrations took place on both sides of the former frontier, where residents welcomed the end of a barrier that had divided communities for decades.
Later, Sánchez attended an official ceremony in La Línea marking the dismantling of the metal fence. Accompanied by Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares, he watched as workers and cranes removed the iron barriers that had long symbolised the division between the two territories. Also present were Gibraltar Chief Minister Fabian Picardo, UK Ambassador to Spain Alex Ellis and local mayors from the Campo de Gibraltar region.
The removal of the fence was greeted with applause from those attending.
Speaking beside the now redundant customs post, Sánchez described the occasion as the beginning of a new chapter for both Gibraltar and the surrounding Spanish region.
“’For decades, the border fence was exactly that, an open wound for the thousands of workers who crossed every day,’ the socialist (PSOE) leader said.
‘Today, we are making history, good history, because today, the last wall in continental Europe falls,’ he added, saying the agreement opened the doors to a ‘new era’ of shared prosperity for the region.
Sánchez also said the agreement had healed ‘a three-century-old wound’, referring to the dispute that has existed since Gibraltar was ceded to Britain under the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713.
He described the future as one of ‘coexistence’ between neighbouring communities that had ‘never turned their backs on one another’ and said the Campo de Gibraltar could now fulfil its potential as a “’ateway where seas, cultures and continents meet’.
The prime minister reflected on the hardships caused by the frontier over the years.
‘For decades, the fence was an open wound for the thousands of workers who crossed it every day without knowing how long it would take them to reach their workplace, and also for the families separated by a few metres of metal, and for generations upon generations who grew up believing that there was no possible solution,’ he said.
He argued that resolving long-standing disputes required political determination rather than accepting them as permanent.
‘We have never believed that; we believe that politics achieves its greatest dignity when it stops merely managing inherited problems and finds the courage to resolve them. That is what we have done: governed with determination, persistently insisted that negotiations – however difficult – move forward until an agreement is reached, and demanded dialogue without, of course, compromising the principles that each party legitimately holds,’ he added.
Although celebrating the agreement, Sánchez stressed that Spain had not abandoned its longstanding claim to sovereignty over Gibraltar. He said the deal fully protected Spain’s interests while achieving and, in his words, ‘more than meets’ the objectives set by the Spanish government.
Under the new arrangements, Spain will exercise Schengen controls at Gibraltar’s airport and port, overseeing visas and the European Union’s external border. The agreement also establishes a customs union between Gibraltar and the EU, alongside measures for greater fiscal convergence intended to address long-standing economic imbalances. ALSO READ: Spain, UK and EU agree ‘historic’ post-Brexit Gibraltar deal – full details.
Gibraltar Airport will also open to civilian traffic under a shared management model, which Sánchez said would create fresh opportunities for tourism, investment and economic development across the wider region.
The agreement also includes protections for the estimated 15,500 cross-border workers who travel daily from Spain into Gibraltar, representing nearly half of the British territory’s workforce. According to Sánchez, unemployment benefits will be guaranteed, pensions protected and, where appropriate, topped up to Spanish minimum levels, while administrative changes will eliminate delays in benefit payments. ALSO READ: Post-Brexit Gibraltar agreement gives Spain new role in border and residency decisions.
In addition, any EU citizen legally resident in Spain will be able to work in Gibraltar on equal terms without discrimination. A new social fund, jointly financed by the European Union and the United Kingdom, will support employment, training and youth opportunities on both sides of the border, helping to reduce inequalities across the Campo de Gibraltar.
Gibraltar, home to around 40,000 residents, has long depended on thousands of daily commuters from Spain. The border became a potent symbol of the sovereignty dispute after Spanish dictator Franco closed it completely in 1969, following Gibraltar’s overwhelming vote to remain British. The closure lasted 13 years, separating families and cutting off the daily movement of workers before the frontier reopened in 1982.
In the decades since, diplomatic tensions between London and Madrid have frequently led to lengthy queues and stricter controls at the crossing. ALSO READ: Political spat between Gibraltar and Spain over return of stolen concrete block.
The latest agreement aims to consign those disruptions to history, replacing the former frontier with free movement while preserving the differing constitutional positions of both Spain and the United Kingdom over Gibraltar’s sovereignty.
Before concluding the ceremony, Sánchez also congratulated Spain’s national football team on reaching the World Cup final, expressing his confidence that they would secure a second world title. ALSO READ: Spain outclass France with tactical masterclass to reach World Cup Final.
Enjoying the news from Spain in English? Add us as a preferred news source in Google.
Subscribe to the Weekly Newsletter from Spain in English.
Hoy hacemos historia.
— Pedro Sánchez (@sanchezcastejon) July 15, 2026
Cae la Verja de Gibraltar, el último muro de Europa continental, para dar paso a una nueva época de convivencia y prosperidad compartida.
Este acuerdo pone el bienestar de los 300.000 andaluces del Campo de Gibraltar en el centro y abre una nueva etapa en… pic.twitter.com/Vua9yo8ZPZ
He venido a La Línea para celebrar este día histórico: hoy abrimos la puerta a una etapa llena de oportunidades para todos, para la relación entre Gibraltar y el Campo, entre España y el Reino Unido, y entre el Reino Unido y la Unión Europea. pic.twitter.com/1IzW7dtS16
— Alex Ellis (@AlexWEllis) July 15, 2026
Click here to get your business activity or services listed on our DIRECTORY.