In brief
Gibraltar and Spain together celebrated the removal of the border fence, a symbol of 118 years of separation that had been an imposing barrier between the British overseas territory and its European neighbor. The ceremony, carried out at midnight, coincided with the implementation of a new treaty that places Gibraltar within the European Union’s Schengen free‑movement area. Chief Minister Fabian Picardo personally dismantled the fence, and thousands gathered to usher in a new era of unimpeded travel for goods and citizens. The event signals a historic step toward closer integration and easier cross‑border movement.
Large crowds gathered at the Gibraltar‑Spain border overnight into Wednesday as part of the fence that had divided the British overseas territory from the EU member country was pulled down.
The symbolic ceremony took place at midnight, when a new treaty came into force eliminating the need for border checks at the crossing.
The agreement, negotiated for years since Brexit, makes Gibraltar part of the EU’s Schengen Area of free movement, easing the crossing for goods and people.
Chief Minister Fabian Picardo pulled the fence down with a rope before hundreds celebrated at the frontier.
