Gibraltar has been forced to stockpile essential medical supplies in tunnels beneath its iconic Rock over fears Spain could walk away from vital post-Brexit talks.
Border controls between the vital British Overseas Territory and Spain had been waived after the UK escaped the EU’s clutches in 2020 but after a spate of diplomatic own-goals and rows Spain is ramping up the pressure to accept its terms.
Though Madrid has called its terms “generous”, it has warned that a “no deal” will mean a hard border.
As a result, Gibraltar has been forced to take action to stave off the threat of delays or import blockages if negotiations fail.
Britain and Spain have just days left to agree a post-Brexit deal on Gibraltar
REUTERS/PA/GETTY
Gibraltar’s Government is now using some 33 miles of tunnels and chambers dug beneath the Rock by the British Army over the last two centuries to store crucial supplies.
“Maintaining stock levels, especially for the health service, is an essential part of preparations for a non-negotiated outcome,” a Government spokesman told The Telegraph.
It’s not just those on British soil taking drastic action in the face of Spain’s stern warnings.
On October 25, workers in the Spanish border town of La Linea are set to stage a protest urging all sides to come to an agreement rather than imperil their livelihoods by introducing full border controls if they can’t shake hands.
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Some 15,000 people cross the land border every day
REUTERS
Some 15,000 people – including 11,000 Spaniards who work in Gibraltar – cross the land border every day, which is vital for both the Rock and La Linea’s economies.
Juan Franco, the border town’s mayor, handed out leaflets to cross-border commuters just yesterday before the demonstration, which read: “We don’t want another 1969,” referring to when Spanish dictator Franco shut the border with Gibraltar – decimating La Linea’s economy.
All parties involved – the UK, Gibraltar, Spain and the EU – all want a post-Brexit deal to make the border frictionless.
The quartet agree this should be done by bringing Gibraltar into the EU’s Schengen Zone of passport-free movement – and moving the border to the territory’s airport.
Gibraltarian Chief Minister Fabian Picardo has insisted that there will be no Spanish border guards on his soil
PA
Workers in Spanish border town La Linea are set to stage a protest urging all sides to come to an agreement
But negotiations have faltered over sovereignty fears – not least those of Gibraltarian Chief Minister Fabian Picardo, who has insisted that there will be no Spanish border guards on his soil.
Earlier his month, Spain urged the UK to accept their allegedly “generous” deal – or face a hard border when the EU’s much-maligned electronic border system is introduced in November.
The new system has since been delayed indefinitely – but Spain is still warning that the interim measures cannot last forever.