The government of Spain has denied accusations that the temporary border arrangements imposed on Gibraltar residents are in violation of the Schengen Borders Code.
The rejection of such claims by the government comes after MPs from the Vox party raised questions about the current situation and rules being applied to Gibraltar passport holders entering the territory of Spain, Schengen.News reports.
According to the Spanish government, as part of its temporary bridging measures, the country is currently applying in full the Schengen Borders Code with Gibraltar and has not relaxed the controls for this group of foreign nationals.
Government Also Denied Claims Made by Former Senior Police Officer
In addition, the government also denied claims made by the former senior police officer who was in charge at the Gibraltar frontier, David Barrero, GBC explains.
Barrero, who has now been suspended, said he was verbally instructed to allow Gibraltar residents to cross the border without undergoing passport stamping.
However, in its written response, the Spanish government said that it has not issued such an order and that the Schengen Borders Code is being maintained at the Gibraltar border.
Other officials have also denied these claims. Spain’s Delegate in Andalucia and the Head of the National Police’s Central Borders Unit said that the border authorities are applying all the rules in line with the Borders Code and that there are no breaches.
The officials have also acknowledged that in some certain cases, the border controls with Gibraltar may be eased while highlighting that these instances are lawful and temporary.
The bridging measures were introduced at the Spain-Gibraltar border during the time that a final agreement between the EU and the UK is being negotiated regarding Gibraltar’s post-Brexit status.
Gibraltar Previously Warned of Countermeasures
The Chief Minister of Gibraltar, Fabian Picardo, said earlier in February that Gibraltar would take reciprocal measures against passport holders of Spain.
Following the bridging measures, the authorities of Gibraltar stated that they are concerned about the direction in which things are going. The same stressed that the tightening of the measures will lead to travel disruptions especially during rush hours and during holidays when more people are crossing the border.
In addition, sources said that the Gibraltar government believes that the tightening of the measures by Spain is politically motivated by those who who opposed the agreement for Gibraltar.
Now, It is still to be seen when a long-term treaty will be finalised. Once the agreement is finalised there will be no systematic checks for Gibraltar residents entering Spain and several other faciltiations will apply. However, it is yet to be seen what the final agreement will include and what will change.