In brief
In an emotional midnight ceremony, the 118-year-old fence that once marked the border between Gibraltar and Spain was pulled down, signalling the territory's entry into the European Schengen Area. Huge crowds gathered overnight, and Chief Minister Fabian Picardo symbolically removed the barrier with a rope. The new treaty, negotiated after Brexit, eliminates customs and passport checks, easing the flow of goods and travellers. This landmark moment marks a new era of free movement and cooperation between the British overseas territory and its southern neighbour.
At midnight on Wednesday, a symbolic ceremony marked the removal of the fence that had separated the British overseas territory of Gibraltar from Spain for 118 years. Large crowds gathered overnight along the border, celebrating the end of a physical barrier that had required border checks for decades.
Chief Minister Fabían Picardo led the tear‑down, pulling the fence down with a rope as the new treaty took effect. The agreement, the result of years of negotiation after Brexit, brings Gibraltar into the European Union’s Schengen Area of free movement.
With customs and passport controls abolished, travellers will now enjoy a seamless crossing between Gibraltar and the rest of the EU, while goods will move more freely across the frontier.
For more on this historic change, read the full story: New era for Gibraltar with removal of 118-year-old border controls with Spain.
