Unrestricted EU travel for Brits in Gibraltar set to ‘undo damage’ of Brexit

Unlimited travel within the EU for Brits living in Gibraltar could ‘undo the damage’ of Brexit.

In 2016, 96 percent of the population of British Overseas territories voted against Brexit.

Thousands of workers from Spain cross the border every day to work in Gibraltar or to visit family and friends, and there were concerns about what impact this major political movement might have.

Now, the government is taking steps to implement a post-Brexit deal that could make travel much easier. I Paper reports.

The deal was finalized last week and is expected to be implemented by next summer.

Gibraltar prime minister Fabian Picardo told i Paper: ‘This will actually remove the damage that Brexit has done to Gibraltar, which we have been able to avoid with these negotiations.’

The deal was finalized on Wednesday by diplomats from the UK, EU, Gibraltar and Spain.

Fabian announced that it would undergo legal checks before being officially signed.

Earlier this year, the UK agreed a ‘fluid’ Gibraltar border that would remove physical controls on travel between the territory and Spain.

But for the first time, EU passport controls will be allowed at Rock airport.

At the time, Fabian welcomed what he said was a ‘historic agreement’ that meant Britons would face Schengen-style border controls when landing there, despite it being a British Overseas Territory.

Talks on the rules governing the border have been ongoing since the UK left the EU in 2020.

Madrid’s claim to the enclave expired more than 300 years ago.

Dual border checks will be carried out by Gibraltar and Spanish authorities for those arriving at Gibraltar airport by air.

This means Britons flying to the Rock must show their passports to Spanish or EU border guards, even though it is UK territory.

But this could also mean that the Spain-Gibraltar border could be fully reopened, allowing people living on both sides to cross it without any problems.

Gibraltar prime minister Fabian Picardo told i Paper: ‘This will actually remove the damage that Brexit has done to Gibraltar, which we have been able to avoid with these negotiations.’

The deal still needs to be approved by the UK and EU parliaments.

Last month Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the Brexit deal as ‘inept’.

He said: ‘We must face the fact that the failed Brexit deal has significantly damaged our economy.

‘You don’t need a PhD in economics to know that establishing unnecessary trade barriers with your largest trading partner will harm growth and increase the cost of living.’