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Date Published: 19/06/2026

Work begins to dismantle the Gibraltar border fence ahead of historic Schengen integration

Spain has started removing infrastructure from its side of the crossing, with the century-old fence set to disappear entirely once the EU-UK treaty enters into force on July 15

After more than a century, the border fence between Spain and Gibraltar is finally coming down. Work began this week on the Spanish side, with crews dismantling canopies and the metal structures that have long made up the vehicle control area, in preparation for the entry into force of the long-awaited Treaty between the European Union and the United Kingdom on July 15.

It marks the culmination of more than five years of negotiation following Brexit. The political agreement was first announced a year ago, with the full text finalised in December 2025, though the more than 1,000 pages of the treaty and its annexes were not made public until February this year.

The disappearance of the fence is the most visible and symbolic consequence of the agreement, which will see Gibraltar formally join the Schengen Area under Spanish administration. Since the UK has never been part of Schengen, the 29-country free movement zone, Spain will take on responsibility for enforcing the EU's external border rules there.

That shift builds on real momentum over recent months. Negotiators had already signalled back in March that a border deal could take effect within weeks as talks entered their final phase, and Spain went on to formally remove Gibraltar from its list of recognised tax havens in May, ending a 35-year designation as relations between the two sides continued to improve.

In practical terms, the change means border controls will shift away from the crossing altogether. Once the fence comes down, checks for anyone entering or leaving the area will instead take place at Gibraltar's airport and port, bringing an end to what has long been considered one of the smallest and most distinctive border crossings in the world.

The works on the Spanish side carry a budget of €2 million and are being carried out by the Agricultural Transformation Company, TRAGSA. As well as demolishing the perimeter fence and canopies, the project includes rerouting freight traffic through a plot of land provided by the La Línea de la Concepción Ayuntamiento, along with upgrades to Gibraltar's airport, which will become a jointly used facility. To minimise disruption, vehicle traffic is currently being diverted mainly at night while the work continues.

The treaty itself is due to be formally signed in Brussels on July 13, just two days before it provisionally enters into force. EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič is expected to sign on behalf of the bloc, with British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares and Gibraltar's Chief Minister Fabian Picardo all expected to attend, a week ahead of the second post-Brexit EU-UK summit scheduled for July 22.

Not everyone is celebrating unreservedly. The treaty's defenders say its purpose is to guarantee "economic prosperity and legal stability of the area without altering the positions of Spain and the United Kingdom on the sovereignty of the territory." But the PP and Vox have criticised the secrecy surrounding the negotiations and argue it should have been put to a vote in the Spanish Congress, a process diplomatic sources say Spain itself sought to avoid in order to keep the agreement moving forward.

Even once provisional implementation begins, full ratification will take time. The treaty must be approved by the Council of the European Union and the European Parliament, and on the British side by both the Gibraltarian Parliament and Westminster, where Labour's comfortable majority is expected to ensure smooth passage. If all goes to plan, the treaty will come into full force in December, with a built-in review clause after four years to assess how the new arrangements, particularly Schengen controls and freedom of movement, are working in practice.

For residents and workers across the Campo de Gibraltar, accustomed to decades of queues and uncertainty at the crossing, the sight of the fence finally coming down marks the end of a long and often difficult chapter.

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