Brexit: what fate for Gibraltar?
Audio 02:47
The Rock of Gibraltar, British territory in southern Spain.
JORGE GUERRERO / AFP
By: Diane Cambon
6 min
The 30,000 inhabitants of Gibraltar, who live in this British territory of 6km², are preparing their souls in pain to live in the era of Brexit, without really knowing what will be their fate.
The trade agreement, concluded in extremis on December 24 between Brussels and London, makes no reference to relations between “El Peñon” (name given to the Rock) and Spain.
A closure of the border with Spain would suffocate the local economy, both on the Spanish and British side.
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At the foot of the World Trade Center, one of Gibraltar's main financial buildings, known for its tinted blue windows, Brian sips his coffee before heading to his office.
This businessman, who has lived in southern Spain for 30 years, does not hide his concern about the possible effects of Brexit in his daily life.
“
The main problem is the border.
Me, I live in Spain and I work here, so it can get very complicated.
There are other things as complex as social security.
I pay my contributions here, but I go to the doctor in Spain.
".
On the other side of this
verja
(the fence), the Bay of Gibraltar also holds its breath.
Juan Lozano is president of the community of town halls in the region.
In his office in Algeciras, he contemplates the strait with a certain anguish.
“
Brexit is going to affect us in all relationships.
You should know that here, the links are very united, not only at the level of work or the economy, but also personal, families on one side and others of the border.
"
In a recent meeting with government officials from Gibraltar and Spain, Juan Lozano demanded only one thing:
“
On either side of the fence, what workers, citizens and town halls are asking for is to maintain fluidity at the border.
Because that means that the economy will continue to function, that jobs will be maintained.
We are talking about 15,000 jobs, of which 10,000 are Spanish workers.
"
The local authorities have identified each of these 15,000 workers, who will be provided with a special card, normally allowing them to cross the border with the same fluidity.
However, some activities are likely to suffer, as Christopher, a Gibraltarian lawyer assures us:
“
There are a lot of insurance companies here in Gibraltar that are headquartered and specialize in insuring the British in Europe, like their cars or their homes.
And all of this will stop.
It's also going to be more complicated for the shops on the main street that make a living from tourists and Spaniards.
And that concerns me, because if Gibraltar's economy goes down, it's going to have consequences for everyone.
"
To maintain this prosperity and fluidity at the border, the Principal Minister of Gibraltar, Fabian Picardo, has proposed that its territory be integrated into the Schengen area.
But London rejects this possibility, too risky in its eyes.
Gibraltar would be more integrated in Europe, and above all, this would risk strengthening ties with Spain.
Madrid could finally cherish an old dream: to obtain shared sovereignty over the Rock.
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