Gibraltar considers joining Schengen

Posted on February 1, 2020 by Europe correspondent Leave a comment

Gibraltar is considering to joint the Schengen free movement area in a gesture of guranteeing the fluidity on its border with Spain after the UK left the European Union, the Chief Minister Fabian Picardo said.

The tiny British enclave of Gibraltar on the southern tip of Spain is considering joining the Schengen zone to ease travel after Brexit, its chief minister tells @AFP's @WardieJerusalem https://t.co/RjwSWO553y pic.twitter.com/Z1P7h7Ocfu

— AFP London (@afplondon) January 31, 2020

Picardo remarks, made in an interview with AFP came just two weeks before Britain and Gibraltar formerly leave the bloc and enter into an 11-month period of intense negotiations to shape the future the UK-EU relationship.

“We talked about this issue before Brexit… about Gibraltar becoming part of the Schengen zone,” Picardo said.

In the spirit of generations of Gibraltarians who have come before, we will secure the future of the generations of Gibraltarians to come. My fellow Gibraltarians, we will succeed in coming years in making Gibraltar stronger and making our children’s future brighter than our own. pic.twitter.com/Ray2Y5uvPP

— Fabian Picardo (@FabianPicardo) January 31, 2020

The British enclave at the soutern point of Iberian peninsula, Gibraltar modus operandi counts on 28,000 crossings daily, and preserving it will be one of the central elements to talks when the transition period begins on February 1.

Ya no formamos parte de la Unión Europa, pero #Gibraltar esta mañana sigue recibiendo a miles de nuestros amigos comunitarios, tanto turistas como trabajadores transfronterizos. Bienvenidos todos. Vídeo de hace tan solo unos momentos. #brexit #UE pic.twitter.com/3zLEkzCGVV

— Fabian Vinet (@fabianvinet) February 1, 2020