Spain celebrates Gibraltar opening its gates - but Brits will face fingerprint checks at border
For decades, people crossing between Spain and the British Overseas Territory have faced checks and often lengthy queues, but that is all set to change from today
The Spanish had something other than the football result to celebrate on Wednesday after border checks between Gibraltar and the Spanish mainland were abandoned after 118 years.
Listen to this article
Putting an end to lengthy rush hour queues that regularly plague the international crossing, the checks will now be reserved for British and non-Schengen Zone passengers arriving at Gibraltar International Airport and seaport instead.
It comes after it was announced that British Citizens will have their fingerprints taken, in addition to passport checks, when arriving in the British overseas territory via ports from today as part of post-Brexit border controls.
The lifting of checks will affect around 15,000 Spaniards employed in the territory, who are forced to cross the international border on a daily basis.
Read more: Oil prices jump after weekend US and Iran attacks
Read more: Gibraltar set for major post-Brexit border change with Spain as 118-year-old controls are removed
At midnight, groups of Spaniards were seen waving flags and football shirts as they celebrated their national side's World Cup win - and freedom of access across the border.
Freedom of movement between the British rock and Europe marks one of Sir Keir Starmer's final acts as Prime Minister.
Forming part of a carefully negotiated agreement between the EU and the UK, a land border with the EU meant that Gibraltar posed a particular challenge in the post-Brexit era.
The change is expected to have major economic consequences on both sides of the frontier.
Gibraltar is one of the wealthiest territories in the world by income per head, while nearby La Línea and the surrounding part of Andalusia remain among the poorest parts of Spain, with unemployment close to 30 per cent.
Juan Franco, the mayor of La Línea de la Concepción, said: “This is something historic, we've had a border fence since 1908.”
He added: “You have to realise that for an average company in this town a third of its income is from clients in Gibraltar.”