The crisis of sovereignty related to Gibraltar remains one of the most sensitive issues, especially when the discussion revolves around Gibraltar’s position as a strategic military base. Following the arrival of the Labour Party to power in July, a new British negotiating team took the lead in the discussions, but London remains silent on progress in this matter.
The closed borders in 1969 had serious repercussions for Gibraltar and are still remembered by many. Tensions escalated during four rounds of negotiations between Britain and Spain regarding Gibraltar's future, which have once again stalled.
The incidents concerning the "hard borders" between Spain and Gibraltar revived the era of La-Linea, a Spanish town on the border, calling for protests, demanding Madrid to avoid a similar "catastrophe", which was the situation when the borders were closed in 1969.
Madrid recently stated that Britain should accept their proposal regarding the management of the Gibraltar airport or face strict border control.
The head of the Government of Gibraltar, Fabian Picardo, stated that this proposal is unacceptable, and that Britain presented its own proposal, which means that "the ball is now in Spain's court".
Border controls were tightened on October 11, when the Spanish police reintroduced stricter border control, requiring Gibraltar residents to stamp their passports for crossing into Spain, whereas previously only the presentation of identification was required.
Free movement is essential for Gibraltar, since the region with a population of about 34,000 relies on 15,000 daily crossers from Spain for labor. This step has caused long lines of workers at peak times on both sides of the border.
Recent actions have also emphasized the "extremely complicated situation that will arise if no agreement is reached... We need guarantees for our future," the Mayor of La-Linea said.
Gibraltar's Chief Minister, Fabian Picardo, who plays a leading role in the negotiations, emphasized that "it is necessary to clarify that the exit of the United Kingdom from the EU has created a problem not only for Gibraltar but also for many of our friends, relatives, and colleagues from La-Linea and the Campo region in Spain, which we must not forget."
