SPANISH border police need to stamp people crossing the Gibraltar frontier into Spain if they are then catching a flight elsewhere, authorities warned.
The Borders and Coastguard Agency was responding to reports that National Police officers were stamping residents’ passports at the frontier last weekend.
A Gibraltar government spokesperson said this ‘appears to have been sporadic’.
But they said it seemed to be ‘carried out by officers who were unaware of the detail of the interim arrangements agreed by Spain for the Gibraltar border’/
The government said it understands that ‘Gibraltar red ID card holders should not be stamped’.
Passports will, however, require a stamp if residents ‘are travelling for onward travel outside Spain’.
The Government said travellers should expressly ask for the stamp at the Gibraltar frontier with Spain if they are catching a flight from Malaga airport, for example.
“It is their responsibility to get a stamp,” the government insisted.
Spain, UK and the EU established the rules for the operation of the frontier to continue more or less as before Brexit.
Crucial talks are ongoing between officials from all three parties to set up a four-year EU treaty that could remove the border altogether.
Chief Minister Fabian Picardo announced the framework agreement on New Year’s Eve 2020.
READ MORE:
- Picardo blasts ‘lies’ of ‘ill-thought’ Brexit referendum as Gibraltar marks the day it left the EU
- Gibraltar ‘optimistic’ for EU treaty as next round of talks begins in London with EU and Spain
- Gibraltar looks at ‘alternative business models’ in case there is no deal with EU and Spain
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