THE physical border between Gibraltar and Spain has officially been removed, marking a new era of free movement for the thousands of people who travel between the territories every day.

Hundreds of people crossed over from Spain’s La Linea de la Concepcion after the border fence came down at midnight on Wednesday, with crowds flooding the streets of Gibraltar to celebrate the historic moment.

The move came after the landmark signing of a new UK-EU treaty on the status of Gibraltar, which now allows local residents to enter Spain using their residence cards, while Spanish citizens can enter the Rock with their national ID cards.

READ MORE: ‘The time has come’: Gibraltar enters new era as UK and EU seal treaty ending years of border uncertainty

In an emotional interview, Chief Minister Fabian Picardo told broadcaster GBC: “For the first time in 15 years in politics, I’ve run out of tears.

“Now that I have crossed the frontier without a passport and without an ID card, I believe that we have done it,” he added.

“We can now move freely, and we have avoided the worst effects of Brexit.”

The deal is the culmination of years of political wrangling since Britain left the EU in 2020.

At the time, Gibraltar’s relationship with the bloc was left unresolved, and subsequent negotiations made only halting progress.

READ MORE: DISPATCH: As the border with Spain begins to come down, Gibraltar’s residents are worried about security and change

In a bid to keep people and goods flowing across the border, Britain and the EU announced an agreement in 2025, with the treaty signed yesterday finally making border crossings seamless.

A hard border and full passport checks would have posed a serious economic threat to the Rock, which relies on a workforce of around 15,000 Spaniards who cross over every day.

In practice, the deal brings Gibraltar into the EU’s Schengen area, allowing Gibraltarians to enjoy the same privileges as EU citizens when travelling to and from the bloc.

At Gibraltar’s airport and port, however, checks will be carried out by both UK and Spanish border officials.

The system is similar to that used at Eurostar terminals in London and Paris, where both British and French officials conduct passport checks.

With the border fence gone, Gibraltar authorities have installed live facial recognition cameras at entry points and throughout the territory.

Picardo said Gibraltar will also have many more CCTV cameras, while increasing its police presence and boosting resources for customs and Coast Guard agencies.

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