Spain will be able to PREVENT Britons from entering territory as Keir Starmer’s EU border deal published

Those flying into Gibraltar from the UK will face dual border controls: one check from Gibraltarian officials and another by the Spanish on behalf of the EU, similar to French police operating at St Pancras Station in London.

The UK, alongside the Government of Gibraltar, has today published a draft treaty with the EU that outlines the arrangements for a “fluid border” for people and goods.

Gibraltar will align its import duty rates on goods with EU rates to allow people to cross the border with everyday goods, such as shopping, without declarations or additional charges. However, Gibraltar will continue to have no VAT or any other sales tax.

The draft agreement does not affect sovereignty, stating that nothing signed “shall constitute the basis for any assertion or denial of sovereignty” over Gibraltar and protects UK autonomy of key military facilities.

Gibraltar’s airport is run by the Ministry of Defence and hosts an RAF base. The overseas territory also has an important naval facility.

The treaty, published in draft form today, still needs to be signed, ratified an implemented. It is set to be signed in March.

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Foreign Office minister Stephen Doughty said: “This treaty ensures that Gibraltar’s economy, people, and future are protected as an integral part of the British family.

“Working closely with the Government of Gibraltar, and agreeing nothing without their consent, we have a treaty that preserves sovereignty and delivers certainty when Gibraltar’s way of life was threatened.

“The UK’s commitment to Gibraltar will never falter.”

Speaking in the Commons on Thursday, Mr Doughty insisted that Gibraltar is “not joining Schengen” and that “immigration, policing and justice remain the responsibility of its own authorities.”

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The Governor of Gibraltar Sir Ben Bathurst watched from the gallery as Mr Doughty told MPs that that the UK-EU treaty has the “full support” of the Government of Gibraltar.

Chief minister of Gibraltar Fabian Picardo said: “This is a safe and secure agreement we have negotiated alongside the UK and that unequivocally protects our position on sovereignty, safeguards our economy and delivers the certainty our people and businesses need.

“It allows Gibraltar to look to the future with confidence, protecting our British way of life while unlocking new opportunities for growth and prosperity.

“It is an agreement that is very good for Gibraltar-based individuals and businesses that will deliver great growth for our economy.”

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However, shadow Foreign Office minister Wendy Morton argued that sovereignty is “not simply about words, it is about how arrangements operate in practice.”

She told the Commons: “This treaty does not merely apply a fixed list of EU law. It provides for future EU acts listed in the annexes to be adopted and implemented with serious consequences if they are not.”

She questioned how Gibraltar and the UK will avoid “becoming subject to ongoing EU rule-taking without meaningful political control.”

Mr Doughty said the Government welcomes the scrutiny that the treaty will receive in Parliament, adding: “There is nothing to hide here.”