The government of Gibraltar has been forced to introduce a freeze on all new residency applications from British citizens and others after an "avalanche" of inquiries following the new deal with Spain which allows "The Rock" to join the Schengen agreement and have easier travel across the European Union.
Gibraltar is an attractive place for some Britons who are pondering moving abroad. The new deal with Spain makes crossing the border much easier and also Gibraltar is like a "home-from-home" for the British.
The Gibraltar Government says it is attempting to mitigate an unprecedented influx of people seeking to live and work on the Rock. Figures release show more than 3,000 people migrated to Gibraltar in the past three years- 952 in 2022, 896 in 2023, and 1,245 in 2024. The figure is expected to be even higher in 2025.
The 1.2 kilomtere fence dividing Spain and Gibraltar is expected to be dismantled in January 2026, scrapping daily checks for the 15,000 frontier workers who cross into the Rock from Spain, El País reported.
Dubbed “the last wall in Western Europe” by Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares, the frontier’s removal is the centrepiece of a broader post-Brexit deal reached in June between London, Brussels, and Madrid.