One more country, or not a country, but definitely a “disputed point” of Europe – Gibraltar, whose ownership is disputed by “Schengen” Spain and Great Britain, can return to the Schengen zone, out of the EU. That said, returning and joining Gibraltar to the European Union's borderless Schengen area by the end of this year “could boost future tourism prospects.” This was stated by the Minister of Tourism and Business of Gibraltar, Vijay Daryanani,
He added that the first step that all locals are hoping for will be a new treaty allowing freedom of movement between Gibraltar and the EU. According to him, negotiations on this agreement were held for four years – after back in 2016, after the first British referendum on leaving the EU, the territories wanted to stay in it.
“This will mean that a total of 16,000 Spanish citizens who cross the border daily to work in hotels, restaurants and other businesses in Gibraltar will be entitled to enter the territory without passport control,” the minister said, again focusing on tourism. According to him, there are “more jobs than people” in Gibraltar.
However, former Spanish Foreign Minister Arancha González Laya said that only the authorities in Spain have the right to decide when Gibraltar can join the Schengen. Also, according to him, the responsibility for border control is in the hands of the Spanish authorities.
Our reference: Gibraltar is a disputed territory, an overseas possession of Great Britain, disputed by Spain. Located on the edge of the Iberian Peninsula and includes the Rock of Gibraltar and the sandy spit that “attaches” the rock to Spain. The territory controls the strait of the same name – the exit from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic, therefore it is considered a strategic point. The population of the territory is about 30 thousand people, of which only 2.1% are Spaniards, mostly English-speaking.
For those who value a healthy lifestyle, we recommend reading: “Scientists told how much and how to drink coffee to be alert and not harm your health.