Spain and Gibraltar have officially ended border controls between them after a historic treaty signed in Brussels came into effect at midnight.
The agreement concludes over four years of negotiations following the UK's exit from the European Union.
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Customs checks have been eliminated, creating a fluid border for residents, tourists, and the approximately 15,000 Spanish workers who enter Gibraltar daily.
The deal aims to foster cooperation and shared prosperity.
A New Era of Cooperation
José Manuel Albares, Spain’s foreign minister, described the agreement as a "historic agreement" that promises mutual prosperity.
He stated, "We have just put an end to a long period of discord and opened the door to a new era of coexistence for two populations that lived apart and are now joining hands, three centuries later."
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Albares emphasized that the deal offers significant advancement in stability and prosperity for the 300,000 Andalucíans in the surrounding Campo de Gibraltar region.
Fabian Picardo, Gibraltar’s chief minister, noted that the treaty does not compromise the territory’s British sovereignty.
He remarked, "The frontier that has so often divided and constrained our region will now become a place of cooperation and shared opportunity."
Picardo added, "The daily lives of thousands of people will be made easier, our economy will be given greater certainty and Gibraltar’s future will rest on firm legal foundations."
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Stephen Doughty, the UK minister for Europe, called the signing of the treaty "a very special moment," highlighting its significance for cross-border relations.
