Gibraltar set to become part of EU Schengen Zone in new deal
https://www.joe.co.uk/news/gibraltar-to-become-part-of-eu-schengen-zone-new-deal-491285
Britain is to hand control of Gibraltar border to Europe
Gibraltar and Britain have agreed on a deal to hand control of the border to Europe following lengthy negotiations.
This means Brits will have to show their passports to Spanish or EU border guards when crossing the border or after landing at the Gibraltar airport.
At present, Gibraltar residents can cross the border by showing their residence cards and Spanish citizens can cross using their government-issued ID card.
Spain relinquished Gibraltar to the UK in 1713 as a result of the War of the Spanish Succession, under the Treaty of Utrecht.
Gibraltar’s population is heavily in favour of remaining a British overseas territory.
99% of the Gibraltarians rejected the proposal for Gibraltar to share sovereignty with Spain in 2002.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy and European Minister Stephen Doughty travelled to Gibraltar on Tuesday ahead of today’s (June 11) talks with Gibraltar’s chief minister Fabian Picardo and his wider cabinet.
Today’s negotiations about the final parameters of the agreement will be followed by discussions with EU and Spanish ministers in Brussels.
Nonetheless, a Foreign Office source claimed that a deal was not yet finalised and that several impediments remained, per LBC.
Writing on X, Picardo claimed it was “time to try to finalise arrangements for a lasting, stable relationship between Gibraltar and the EU/Spain which is safe, secure and beneficial”.
However, not everyone is as hopeful as Gibraltar’s chief minister, with former Home Secretary Suella Braverman writing on X: “Another surrender and a handover in all but name. This government consistently undermines Britain, and it is absolutely unforgivable.
“The Falklands will be next.”
MP Caroline Dinenage also took to X to share her opinion on the matter: “Call me a cynic but it’s notable that this slipped out just as Parliament has gathered to hear the Spending Review”
Under the deal, Gibraltar would join the bloc’s Schengen free movement zone and therefore become an associate member of the EU’s passport-free Schengen zone.
UK PM Gives Gibraltar To EU
Article: UK’s Gibraltar Deal: Freedom or Surrender of Sovereignty? UK's Gibraltar Deal: Freedom or Surrender of Sovereignty? - Breaking News Now
EXPOSED: EU bigwig at heart of Labour's Gibraltar 'surrender' has Marxist roots, bombshell document shows
The EU bigwig at the heart of Labour's "surrender" deal on Gibraltar was "immersed" in Marxism and was a member of a leading Communist Party, a bombshell report shows.
Maros Sefcovic, the 58-year-old Slovak at the head of Brussels's trade commission, was a member of the Czechoslovak Communist Party and fled his homeland for five years to Moscow just before the Iron Curtain fell.
Now a self-proclaimed socialist, Sefcovic secured three approvals from party members in 1989 on his quest to "deepen his knowledge of Marxism–Leninism".
But he was at the centre of Britain's recent deal with Brussels to place Spanish boots on the Rock of Gibraltar - dubbed a surrender by furious Tories on Friday morning.
"When I met with both [Spanish Foreign Minister Jose] Albares and [British Foreign Secretary David] Lammy last months, we all recognised a clear momentum - and agreed that the time had come to get the job done," the ex-communist said after the Gibraltar deal.
Now, a damning report from Facts4EU has cast light on Sefcovic's history at the heart of the Eastern Bloc.
In 1985, he left his home country, the Soviet puppet state of Czechoslovakia, and headed east to Moscow.
In going east to Russia, Sefcovic did not suffer the fate of hundreds of his fellow countrymen and women who had been killed attempting to cross the border in the opposite direction.
The EU Vice President went on to spend five years at elite university the Moscow State Institute of International Relations.
Two years after his arrival, he submitted his application for formal membership of the Czechoslovak Communist Party.
"In those days, party membership was a serious accolade and was not granted to everyone," the report says.
"Fortunately the National Archive in Prague holds records of such people," it jabs - and has unearthed an image of his application form.
Image (above): Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Albares, Maros Sefcovic, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Gibraltarian Chief Minister Fabian Picardo pose after the 'surrender' deal.
In August 1968, the "Prague Spring" was brutally crushed by Russia, when tanks and some 500,000 troops from the Warsaw Pact invaded.
The Soviet Union was able to then bolster the power of the hardline KSC, of which Maros Sefcovic was a member.
As the report says, "at the time that he left for Moscow, the brutal suppression of the flowerings of a liberal society, including many deaths as a result, in his home country were of course completely fresh in the minds of its citizens".
It adds: "This did not deter Sefcovic on his journey to become more immersed in the study of Marxism-Leninism in the capital city of the country which was the author of the violence and oppression."
Sefcovic isn't alone in his hard-left leanings at university, however.
A magazine was unearthed last year which shows Sir Keir Starmer's hardcore left-wing political beliefs during his studies. MSN
Gibraltar border to be manned by SPAIN as David Lammy concedes to EU in negotiations
Gibraltar's border will be manned by Spanish officials under David Lammy's post-Brexit deal over the future of the Rock.
Travellers arriving by air to the British Overseas Territory will see "dual border control checks" by Spain's and Gibraltar's officials, the Foreign Office said on Wednesday afternoon.
Meanwhile, Spanish officials will be responsible for ensuring the integrity of the Schengen Area, in a model similar to French police operating in London’s St Pancras station, the department said.
Gibraltarian sources had long vowed that there would be "no Spanish boots on the rock" - but one of Madrid's key demands was to have its officials in place on the peninsula.
"As the only UK overseas territory which shares a border with the EU, today's political agreement provides a practical solution for the unique situation faced by the people of Gibraltar whose livelihoods depend on a fluid border," the Foreign Office statement added.
David Lammy said following the deal's signing: "This Government inherited a situation from the last Government which put Gibraltar's economy and way of life under threat. Today's breakthrough delivers a practical solution after years of uncertainty.
"Alongside the Government of Gibraltar, we have a reached an agreement which protects British sovereignty, supports Gibraltar's economy and allows businesses to plan for the long-term once again.
"I thank the Chief Minister and his Government for their tireless dedication throughout the negotiations. The UK's commitment to Gibraltar remains as solid as the Rock itself."
Foreign Office sources had earlier told GB News that there were no plans to allow Gibraltar to join the EU's free movement scheme, amid fears that Labour would surrender the Rock's borders to Spain entirely.
After reaching an agreement with Gibraltar's Chief Minister Fabian Picardo, Lammy headed to Brussels to secure the deal with EU Brexit negotiator Maros Sefcovic and Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares.
Picardo wrote on social media: "[It was] time to try to finalise arrangements for lasting, stable relationship between Gibraltar and the EU/Spain which is safe, secure and beneficial."
The deal would allow around 15,000 Spanish workers to continue crossing the border daily and Gibraltarians to have their freedom of movement back within Europe.
And the Foreign Office said it "provides a practical solution to avoid the need for onerous checks and long delays at the border which would have proved ruinous for Gibraltar's economy, costing hundreds of millions a year and placing pressure on the UK taxpayer for fiscal support."
Earlier, ex-Home Secretary Suella Braverman told GB News: "We are absolutely furious about this deal. It's another unbelievable and unimaginable betrayal.
"Through their warped apologist view of history this Government seeks determined to put the Britain last. This is yet another step for us to rejoin the EU by the back door.
"We will now be in the absurd situation where British people, arriving on sovereign British territory, will have to show their passports to foreign officials.
"It won't be long before the Government pays Spain to take Gibraltar and does the same for the Falklands and Argentina."
But Picardo hit back at the former Home Secretary in a fiery online rebuke. He blasted: "Except, it's not true."
This comes after a Foreign Office source told GB News that any suggestion about the Rock joining the Schengen Zone was "categorically untrue" and has "never been on the table".
And in the wake of the deal's sign-off, Picardo said in a statement: "I'm delighted we have finalised a conclusive political agreement which will bring legal certainty to the people of Gibraltar, its businesses and to those across the region who rely on stability at the frontier.
"I have worked hand in glove with the UK Government throughout this negotiation to deliver the deal Gibraltar wants and needs - one that will protect future generations of British Gibraltarians and does not in any way affect our British sovereignty.
"Now is the time to look beyond the arguments of the past and towards a time of renewed cooperation and understanding. Now the deal is done, it's time to finalise the Treaty."
Later on Wednesday, Downing Street said the Prime Minister had spoken to Picardo and Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez.
"The Prime Minister spoke to the Chief Minister of Gibraltar Fabian Picardo this evening, to congratulate him on today's historic agreement to secure the future of Gibraltar," No10 said.
"He thanked him for his years of hard work, commitment, and leadership to reach an agreement - adding that it was fantastic to see that it had been profusely welcomed by all sides.
"Both agreed that this would unlock a secure future for the people and businesses of Gibraltar, allowing them plan for the long-term while protecting British sovereignty.
"The Prime Minister spoke to the Prime Minister of Spain Pedro Sanchez this evening, following today's historic agreement to secure the future of Gibraltar.
"Prime Minister Sanchez congratulated the Prime Minister on his leadership, adding that his government had succeeded where others had failed.
"Both leaders also agreed that this development unlocks huge opportunity to advance the bilateral relationship between the UK and Spain, on behalf of the British and Spanish people. They looked forward to meeting in person soon."Gibraltar border to be manned by SPAIN as David Lammy concedes to EU in negotiations