KEY POINTS

  • The island of Gibraltar off the coast of Spain was left out of the Brexit trade deal
  • Many of its workers live in Spain, and it overwhelmingly voted to remain in the E.U.
  • Spain has created a temporary travel program until a permanent agreement can be reached

While politicians in Brussels and London celebrate the Brexit trade deal, many of the thornier disagreements have been left for a later date. Among them: the tiny island of Gibraltar off the coast of Spain.

Britain and Spain agreed to leave Gibraltar out of the larger Brexit agreement to negotiate it individually. As Brexit looms, however, no deal has been announced, leaving the island’s 34,000 residents in the dark.

“[The Brexit trade deal] is a huge relief,” Gibraltar Chief Minister Fabian Picardo told the Associated Press. “[But] this deal does not cover Gibraltar. For us, and for the people of the Campo de Gibraltar around us, the clock is still ticking.”

With its traditional British red phone boxes, pubs serving fish-and-chips and tax-free shopping, Gibraltar has long drawn day-trippers from neighbouring Spain. But the easy flow of people across the border from Spain which underpins the economy of this ti
With its traditional British red phone boxes, pubs serving fish-and-chips and tax-free shopping, Gibraltar has long drawn day-trippers from neighbouring Spain. But the easy flow of people across the border from Spain which underpins the economy of this tiny British territory on the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula risks ending when Britain leaves the European Union's single market on December 31. AFPTV / Jorge GUERRERO

Gibraltar voted to remain in the European Union by 94%. Cross-border travel is vital for the island’s economy, as 15,000 of its workers live on the Spanish mainland. Officials record 30 million border crossings annually, and many residents fear that a hard border would result in the sprawling lines of trucks and vehicles the U.K. saw recently.

The Spanish government has created an interim travel pass to prevent that, allowing workers who secure the document before Jan. 1 to pass without disruption. But it’s no permanent solution.

Spain’s foreign minister Arancha González Laya told RTVE Thursday that British officials were holding up negotiations.

“We do not have much time, and the scenes of chaos from the U.K. must remind us that we need to keep working to reach a deal on Gibraltar,” she said. “Spaniards want one, the people of Gibraltar want one, now the U.K. needs to desire one as well. Political will is needed.”

Picardo says an absolute minimum of border checks would be best, and a statement from the U.K. seems to concur that any agreement should “ensure border fluidity, which is clearly in the best interests of the communities that live on both sides.”

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