Pedro Sánchez and Fabian Picardo celebrate the removal of the final land border fence between Spain and Gibraltar.
Pedro Sánchez and Fabian Picardo celebrated the historic removal of the final land border fence between Spain and the British territory of Gibraltar on Wednesday. The agreement, which took effect at midnight on Tuesday, eliminates routine border controls and customs checks, allowing for fluid movement between the two regions. The deal follows four years of negotiations between the UK, Spain, the European Union, and Gibraltar after Britain's departure from the bloc. By removing the physical barrier that has existed since 1908, the treaty eases the daily commute for approximately 15,000 Spanish workers who rely on the territory for employment. Pedro Sánchez described the removal of the fence as closing an "open wound" and entering a new era of shared prosperity. Fabian Picardo noted that the agreement secures Gibraltar’s economic future without compromising its British sovereignty. While the territory now functions as a de facto part of the Schengen area, travelers from outside the zone will still undergo biometric checks at the airport and port.