Chaos at the Gibraltar Gate. Thousands of Spanish workers were seen trying to enter the Rock this morning, lining up in a very long queue. The delay followed the closure of a lane on the side of Gibraltar. Tension rose as nerves stretched, with constant beeps, minor fallbacks, and rising irritation before the workday even began. A scene unfolds more than a week after the death of the colony’s chief minister, Fabián Picardo, amid threats of retaliation to Spain over checkpoints at La Verja, the metal barrier separating Spain from the British territory.
Today’s stress emerged when Spanish police officers opened the door around seven in the morning to a new lane for two wheelers separated from cars. The move aimed to ease traffic for those entering the Rock, where thousands rely on motorcycles, bicycles, or electric skates to commute.
Two plastic barriers on the Gibraltar side closed this new strip, as visible in the photographs provided by this newspaper. The setup merged the two lanes on the Spanish side into one on the Gibraltar side, forming a real funnel that constrained movement.
By nine in the morning, two hours after the effort began, the Interior Ministry ordered the use of that strip halted. This is the current stance, according to official Spanish sources familiar with the situation on the ground. Diplomatic sources indicate that the Government of Fabián Picardo raised concerns about an opening believed to favor the Spanish side.
National Police sources assure this newspaper that the news had been conveyed to Gibraltar in writing more than a week earlier. Spain intends to establish a lane for two wheeled vehicles only, with officials proposing to cooperate and explore multiple options to implement this on a consensual basis. The goal is to improve daily flow for workers entering and exiting Gibraltar and to enhance safety for moving vehicles. Motorcycles and roller skates sometimes weave between cars, creating tension. Gibraltar has not yet cooperated.
Other well-informed sources claim that Gibraltar authorities may be following orders from their own government and are not cooperating for political reasons. Allegedly, the three ordinary agents present this morning did not leave their posts to conduct separate checks for motorcycles and cars.
120,000 daily passes
Spanish diplomacy has been negotiating with the European Union and the United Kingdom for almost two years about a workable arrangement after Brexit. The separation of the door with a non Schengen zone should, in principle, apply the same controls to nationals of any third country. So far, a policy of goodwill and light controls has prevailed, but that appears to be changing.
In 2024 a new European Entry/Exit System was introduced, enabling automatic registration of passengers from third countries. Official Spanish sources familiar with the situation say Spain has added border reinforcements to manage Gibraltar as a de facto border. Between 15 and 20 officials are reported to be stationed on the Spanish side.
Some of the new staff are intended to manage the evolving ribbon that facilitates the daily transit of thousands of people by two wheelers. It is estimated that about 120,000 people pass daily during peak seasons, with roughly 30,000 in each direction and another 30,000 vehicles. The majority are Spanish workers in the colony. In summer, tourist traffic rises sharply, while others from Gibraltar travel to the Spanish side for shopping or to enjoy summer homes in Sotogrande.
Threats of retaliation
Soon after the latest developments, tensions rose between the Spanish Government, the United Kingdom, and Gibraltar. The State Department filed multiple official complaints with the United Kingdom over incidents in waters near Gibraltar during the summer, which each side claimed as theirs. Spain condemned the harassment of fishing boats, clashes with customs patrol boats, and diesel fuel spills.
The government of Fabián Picardo released a statement on August 26, threatening retaliation against workers who cross the border daily for work. He criticized passport checks on people entering Spain through the door, noting that Gibraltarians and British travelers also queue as non-EU entrants into Spain. Madrid argued that Schengen entry criteria were applied for security reasons, while the Ministry of Interior agreed to waive checks in the spirit of good relations during Gibraltar treaty negotiations.
#Gibraltar Unexplained queues formed at the border pic.twitter.com/UG3wdPa7CH
– InfoGibraltar (@InfoGibraltar) 9 October 2019
There is no official confirmation yet about whether the new lane will be subject to a physical blockade for two wheeled vehicles. The retaliation vow by Picardo remains. By the end of this article, the Government of Gibraltar had not responded to this newspaper’s questions on the subject. The Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs also declined to comment.