Gibraltar head fears influx of Brits moving there to avoid 90-day rule in Spain

Gibraltar's Chief Minister Fabian Picardo has raised the prospect of Britons using Gibraltar as a way to try and get around Schengen rules, stating that the historic Brexit deal with the EU makes The Rock "a very attractive place" for "British people who want to be in the European Union."

Speaking at the celebration of Gibraltar's National Day, which commemorates the 1967 sovereignty referendum on the Rock, Picardo gave a balanced view of the pros and some possible cons of the long-awaited Brexit deal.

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"All that is good is not exclusively good," Picardo said. The Chief Minister was also keen to downplay talk of winners and losers from the deal. "I don't think it was a question of one side winning or the other. What we set out was the possibility of reaching an agreement and that is why it has been so difficult and that is why it has taken so long," he said in response to a question on whether Gibraltar stands to gain from the agreement.

The deal represents a point where "everybody wins and nobody loses," he said, saying the agreement "is good for all the citizens of Campo de Gibraltar and Gibraltar".

In particular, Picardo ventured the idea that as a result of the deal, Gibraltar may become a highly desirable location, especially for UK nationals looking for entry into the EU, and that, as a knock-on effect, this could have an impact on the property market on the tiny overseas territory.

"We have to look at how the price of land can go up, because Gibraltar is going to become a very attractive place, particularly for British people who want to be in the European Union."

In June the EU announced that it had come to an agreement with the UK, Spain and Gibraltar, tying up the last loose end of the Brexit process some five years after the UK formally left the block and almost a decade after the referendum vote.

The main thrust of the deal was to ease border flows and eliminate goods checks, with dual 'Eurostar-style' border control to maintain a fluid border.

Following the deal, the Gibraltar border crossing is now due to be removed at the start of 2026, according to a new report in leading Spanish daily El País.

Picardo said he was "very excited" to be able to conclude an agreement which will see the border fence removed, something he said "has brought so much sacrifice to so many families and so many workers."

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Schengen Zone rules mean that as non-EU nationals, Britons who aren't Spanish residents can only stay in the Schengen Area, including Spain, for 90 days within any 180-day period.

However, as Picardo notes: "If they are resident in Gibraltar, they are not going to have the 90-day check every 180 days."

This suggests the Gibraltarian leader is concerned about UK nationals rushing to get residency on The Rock in order to get unfettered access to Spain and the Schengen area more widely.

To this end, Picardo also announced the his government has set up a committee to study the impact of possible new residents as a result of the treaty, noting that "some things have to be changed" and he and his team must be "very aware" of what this treaty will mean in practical terms "beyond how positive" it will be overall.

Clearly, the historical post-Brexit Gibraltar deal is being welcomed, but not without some scepticism on the knock-on effects it could have on life in Gibraltar.

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