Spain is celebrating the implementation of new post-Brexit border controls for Gibraltar, which include fingerprinting for British citizens entering the territory. These measures, effective Wednesday, involve the dismantling of the old border post with Spain and relocating Spanish checks to the international airport and seaport.
The changes coincide with the formal signing of a treaty on Gibraltar's status between Britain and the European Union. This treaty aims to ease border crossings and resolve years of political uncertainty surrounding the British overseas territory. UK Foreign Office Minister Stephen Doughty stated that the agreement secures Gibraltar's long-term economic future and interests. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez described the move as the 'Europe's last wall coming down.'
Under the new system, Britons arriving by land or sea will present their passports to local officials and then Spanish guards, who will take their fingerprints. Gibraltar residents can use their residence cards to cross into Spain without passport stamps, while Spanish citizens can use government ID cards.
Gibraltar officials have installed live facial recognition cameras at entry points and throughout the territory. The deal is intended to facilitate the movement of people and goods, aiming to prevent lengthy delays for the approximately 15,000 workers who cross the border daily.
Gibraltar's Chief Minister Fabian Picardo noted that the agreement had removed 'the physical barriers of a bygone era of friction' while preserving control over the territory's governance. Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said the deal initiates a new chapter for Gibraltar, Spain, Britain, and the EU, expecting benefits for the 300,000 residents in the Campo de Gibraltar region through improved connectivity, investment, and cross-border cooperation.
However, the new controls have also generated concerns regarding sovereignty, surveillance, and potential queues due to the EU's entry and exit system. Critics, including Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, have voiced opposition, calling it a 'dreadful surrender' and warning of irreversible changes to Gibraltar. Former Conservative leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith expressed that the arrangement could serve as a precedent for future weak negotiations and a significant step in diminishing British sovereignty.
The British Overseas Territory, with a population of 38,000, is situated at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula. Britain acquired Gibraltar under the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht. Following Britain's departure from the EU in 2020, the relationship between Gibraltar and the bloc remained unresolved, with previous talks on border fluidity yielding slow progress. An agreement on these issues was announced in 2025, leading to the treaty signed this week.