26th Feb 2026 11:20
(Alliance News) - Gibraltar will remain British, but people will be able to travel freely across the land border with Spain, according to a post-Brexit agreement on the territory.
The UK, alongside the government of Gibraltar, has published a draft treaty with the EU that outlines the arrangements for a "fluid border" for people and goods.
The deal will mean no routine passport checks at the Spain-Gibraltar border for the 15,000 people who cross it every day.
However, checks will apply to those arriving by air, so those flying into Gibraltar from the UK will face dual border controls: one check from Gibraltarian officials and another by the Spanish on behalf of the EU.
There will also be a tailored customs model to "eliminate burdensome goods checks", the UK government said.
The draft agreement does not affect sovereignty, stating that nothing signed "shall constitute the basis for any assertion or denial of sovereignty" over the Rock, and protects UK autonomy of key military facilities.
Gibraltar's airport is run by the Ministry of Defence and hosts an RAF base. The overseas territory also has an important naval facility.
Chief minister of Gibraltar, Fabian Picardo, said the treaty protects the "British way of life" on the Rock, while "unlocking new opportunities for growth".
The treaty, published in draft form on Thursday, still needs to be signed, ratified an implemented.
Foreign Office minister Stephen Doughty said: "This treaty ensures that Gibraltar's economy, people, and future are protected as an integral part of the British family.
"Working closely with the government of Gibraltar – and agreeing nothing without their consent – we have a treaty that preserves sovereignty and delivers certainty when Gibraltar's way of life was threatened.
"The UK's commitment to Gibraltar will never falter."
Picardo said: "This is a safe and secure agreement we have negotiated alongside the UK and that unequivocally protects our position on sovereignty, safeguards our economy and delivers the certainty our people and businesses need.
"It allows Gibraltar to look to the future with confidence, protecting our British way of life while unlocking new opportunities for growth and prosperity.
"It is an agreement that is very good for Gibraltar-based individuals and businesses that will deliver great growth for our economy."
Shadow Foreign Office minister Wendy Morton said: "This is a treaty of over a thousand pages with profound constitutional changes that fundamentally reshapes how Gibraltar's border, airport and legal framework will operate, yet Parliament has not seen a single page of it.
"Gibraltar is British. Its people have repeatedly and overwhelmingly chosen to remain under British sovereignty. Any treaty that hands Spain new powers over entry, residency, infrastructure or enforcement must be examined line by line by Parliament before it takes effect.
"Parliament cannot be expected to sign a blank cheque to the EU. We need the full treaty in front of us before a single provision is allowed to take effect."
Gibraltar was ceded to the UK by Spain under the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713 and the population is heavily in favour of remaining a British overseas territory.
The last time it voted on a proposal to share sovereignty with Spain, in 2002, almost 99% of Gibraltarians rejected the move.
Talks on rules governing the border have been ongoing since Britain left the EU in 2020.
By Abbie Llewelyn, Press Association political staff
Press Association: News
source: PA
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