SPANISH prime minister Pedro Sanchez said a ‘three-century-old wound’ had finally healed after the physical border barrier between Gibraltar and Spain was removed on Wednesday.
Speaking to reporters after two cranes stripped down the final section of the border fence at around 12pm, he said Spain and Gibraltar were ‘writing the right kind of history’ as ‘the last wall of continental Europe finally fell.’
“For decades, the border fence was an open wound for the thousands of workers who crossed it every day without knowing how long it would take them to get to work,” the Socialist PSOE leader said.
“It was also an open wound for families separated by just a few metres of metal, and for generation after generation who grew up believing there was no possible solution.”
READ MORE: Gibraltar border finally opens as UK-EU treaty ushers in new era on the Rock
The historic moment came after Britain and the EU signed a new treaty on Gibraltar’s status in Brussels on Tuesday.
Under the agreement, Gibraltarians can enter Spain using their residence cards, while Spanish citizens can travel to the Rock with their national ID cards.
The arrangement marks a historic turning point after years of strict border checks and political uncertainty following Britain’s departure from the EU in 2020.
At the time, Gibraltar’s future relationship with the bloc was left unresolved, and subsequent negotiations progressed only slowly.
In a bid to keep people and goods moving freely across the frontier, Britain and the EU reached a political agreement in 2025, with Tuesday’s treaty formally putting in place seamless border crossings.
A hard border and full passport checks would have posed a serious economic threat to Gibraltar, which depends on a workforce of around 15,000 Spaniards who cross into the territory each day.
In practice, the deal effectively brings Gibraltar into the EU’s Schengen area, allowing Gibraltarians to enjoy the same freedom of movement as EU citizens when travelling within the bloc.
At Gibraltar Airport and the port, however, immigration checks will be carried out jointly by UK and Spanish border officials.
The system mirrors the arrangements at Eurostar terminals in London and Paris, where British and French authorities conduct passport controls before departure.
With the border fence now gone, Gibraltar’s authorities have installed live facial recognition cameras at entry points across the territory.
Chief Minister Fabian Picardo said Gibraltar will also expand its CCTV network, increase its police presence and provide additional resources for customs and Coast Guard agencies.
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