UK agrees post-Brexit deal over Gibraltar

The UK has a agreed a woody with the European Union implicit Gibraltar's presumption aft Brexit.

Talks connected rules governing the borderline of Spain and Gibraltar person been ongoing since Britain near the EU successful 2020.

The UK said the statement would debar the request for checks connected radical and goods crossing the Gibraltar-Spain border.

For travellers arriving astatine Gibraltar airport, passport checks volition beryllium carried retired by Gibraltar and Spanish officials.

This is akin to the strategy successful spot for Eurostar passengers astatine London's St Pancras station, wherever travellers walk done some British and French passport power earlier boarding planetary trains.

UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the woody protected British sovereignty and supported Gibraltar's economy.

He said the "breakthrough" delivered a applicable solution, adding: "This authorities inherited a concern from the past authorities which enactment Gibraltar's system and mode of beingness nether threat."

Chief Minister of Gibraltar Fabian Picardo besides welcomed the agreement, saying: "I person worked manus successful mitt with the UK authorities passim this dialog to present the woody Gibraltar wants and needs – 1 that volition support aboriginal generations of British Gibraltarians and does not successful immoderate mode impact our British sovereignty."

Spanish Foreign Affairs Minister José Manuel Albares and EU commercialized main Maros Sefcovic some hailed the woody arsenic "historic", with Sefcovic saying it "reinforces a caller chapter" successful the EU-UK relationship.

All parties person committed to finalising a UK-EU pact substance connected Gibraltar arsenic rapidly arsenic possible, the UK authorities said.

Gibraltar, which is simply a British Overseas Territory, is simply a 2.6 quadrate mile headland to the southbound of Spain.

The UK has had sovereignty implicit Gibraltar since 1713, though this is disputed by Spain, who assertion the territory arsenic their own.

The territory's presumption and that of its borderline with Spain has been a cardinal sticking constituent and has remained unresolved since Brexit.

An estimated 15,000 radical transverse the Gibraltar-Spain borderline each time for enactment and leisure.

Currently, Gibraltar residents tin transverse utilizing residence cards without needing to person their passports stamped. Spanish citizens tin transverse utilizing a authorities ID card.

But determination were concerns this would extremity with the instauration of the EU's Entry/Exit strategy aboriginal this year, causing immense delays astatine the border.

The UK said each sides had agreed a clause making wide the last pact does not interaction the territory's British sovereignty.

It said determination would besides beryllium afloat operational autonomy of the UK's military's facilities successful Gibraltar, wherever the airdrome is tally by the Ministry of Defence and hosts an RAF base.

Public sentiment successful Gibraltar, which has a colonisation of 32,000 according to its government, is successful favour of keeping British sovereignty. The astir caller referendum, held successful 2002, saw astir 99% of voters cull a connection to stock sovereignty with Spain.

The breakthrough came aft Lammy met Picardo and his furniture successful Gibraltar earlier, earlier the brace headed to Brussels for discussions with EU and Spanish ministers.