GIBRALTAR JOINS SCHENGEN ZONE TO EASE BORDER MOVEMENT

Gibraltar is set to become a part of the Schengen zone to ensure fluidity of movement at the border with Spain after the end of the post-Brexit transition phase, Deutsche Welle (DW) reported.

Spain and the UK have reached a last-minute deal that will allow the British territory of Gibraltar to retain freedom of movement, both countries said on Thursday, the Agence France Presse (AFP) and Reuters also reported.

"We are breaking down barriers to build an area of shared prosperity," Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya said, announcing the deal just hours before the expiry of transition arrangements.

Gonzalez Laya explained that border arrangements for Gibraltar's port and airport would change, with Spain ultimately responsible for controls, the Spanish news agency EFE reported.

In the 2016 Brexit referendum, 96% of voters in Gibraltar — home to about 34,000 people — voted to stay in the EU, with the UK-wide result being 52% to 48% in favor of leaving.

The possibility of entering the New Year with tight new restrictions was an daunting one for Gibraltar, which relies on access to EU markets for its tiny economy. More than 15,000 people live in Spain but work across the border in Gibraltar, Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa) reported.

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