MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Gibraltar CM angered by Spain's tighter unilateral border controls

“As a socialist,” Picardo said he was “depressed that politics is used to harm the interests of workers and not to help them.”

Gibraltar's Chief Minister Fabian Picardo vowed not to give in to Spain's “pressure tactics” after the reintroduction of passport controls at the La Verja crossing requiring passports to people from the British Overseas Territory.

The measure seeks to find out whether these people actually resided in Gibraltar or in the so-called Schengen area, in which case they should pay taxes to the European Union country and not to post-Brexit UK, it was explained. Those who spend more than 90 days out of 180 should apply for residence in Spain. It is believed that many Gibraltarians live in spacious homes on the Spanish side, but work and pay taxes in the BOT, where they earn more and contribute less to the exchequer.

Effective at 11 pm local time Thursday, Spain ended the current provisional arrangements regarding Gibraltar's border, and therefore holders of the red resident card entering Spain would be required to have their passports stamped.

The head of the Border Post at La Línea de la Concepción ordered his staff starting “at 23 hours of October 10, 2024”, to proceed “to comply with the provisions of Article 11 of the current Schengen Borders Code and stamp the corresponding stamp in the passports of citizens from Gibraltar, as is being done with other citizens of third states,” it was reported.

The Gibraltarian Government insisted that the measure was enacted “without any prior notice.” According to Picardo's administration, the decision did not stem from Madrid's Interior or Foreign Ministries but was merely a decision adopted by “an inspector of the Spanish National Police in La Línea de La Concepción” who went above his duties when giving “such an instruction.”

In response, Picardo announced that unless things went back to the previous status by 7 am Friday he would act in reciprocity, “albeit reluctantly”, and demand passports from people entering Gibraltar, including cross-border workers.

In this scenario, long lines resulted in delays leading Spain's National Police to return to the previous system and not require Gibraltarians with red cards to stamp their passports. The BOT then reciprocated but the Spanish Police resumed shortly afterward requiring passports despite being “verbally ordered not to do so” on the grounds that the new order had “to be delivered in writing” before being put into practice. “It appears that the instruction was given in writing by an officer of the Spanish Policia Nacional in La Linea, of the rank of Inspector, who was not authorised to give that instruction by his superior,” No.6 Convent Place said later in a statement. At 11.30 am, Spain ceased requiring the stamping of passports.

Picardo then reiterated his willingness to achieve an agreement between the EU and the UK to regulate the relationship of Gibraltar with the block after Brexit. “The ball is in Spain's court to accept those reasonable, balanced, and imaginative proposals that guarantee the security of the Schengen area and the integrity of the Single Market,” the CM insisted.

“The best way to achieve this is through the ongoing negotiations and Gibraltar will not be forced to submit through pressure tactics such as the measures applied in the last 12 hours,” he added.

“As a socialist,” Picardo said he was “depressed that politics is used to harm the interests of workers and not to help them.”

“I sincerely hope that incidents like this are the storm that precedes the calm and that we can resolve the issues at the negotiating table in a way that works for everyone and that can be implemented with the support of citizens,” he went on.

However, he recommended all those crossing into Spain always carry their passport in case “the whim of Spanish police officers” ended up in such documents being requested for stamping.

If no agreement is achieved by Nov. 10, biometric controls are to be imposed. La Línea Mayor Juan Franco said Thursday that he saw it “highly unlikely” that any understanding could be reached in time given the stances of the governments of Spain and the United Kingdom. Hence, he foresees “a brutal circulatory collapse” at the fence. He also admitted that this situation would have “a very direct impact” on his district where “more than 11,000 people” work on the British side. On Nov. 10 “we will have here a huge problem,” Franco underlined.