Large crowds gathered at the Gibraltar-Spain border overnight into Wednesday as a section of the fence dividing the British overseas territory from the European Union member country was removed. The symbolic ceremony took place at midnight, coinciding with a new treaty that eliminates the need for border checks at the crossing.
This agreement, the result of years of negotiation following Brexit, incorporates Gibraltar into the EU's Schengen Area of free movement. This integration is expected to ease the passage of both people and goods.
Chief Minister of Gibraltar Fabian Picardo participated in the ceremony, pulling down a section of the fence with a rope. Following the symbolic act, hundreds of people celebrated at the frontier, crossing freely between Gibraltar and Spain without the previous border checks.