Expats and residents in Gibraltar fear Spanish post-Brexit revenge

Expats, businesses and residents on the Rock are increasingly worried about Spain’s reaction to a hard Brexit.

For most residents and expats living and working in Gibraltar, Spain is a known threat for its former spiteful behaviour towards the Rock, which they consider is part of the Spanish mainland. The neighbouring country has the means to wreck trade and the lives of Gibraltarians and is expected to do so, based on its former reactions. Gibraltar is British and is the UK's only remaining outpost in Europe, with its Brexit vote overwhelmingly in favour of remaining in the EU.

Should the UK crash out without a deal, Gibraltar could well be prevented from importing goods from the UK as well as from Spain. Between 1969 and 1982, Spain’s then ruler General Franco shut down the Gibraltar/Spain border, cutting off all contact including the phone lines between the two. Residents still remember being unable to speak with their families on the Spanish side, and fear a similar situation should a hard Brexit result. Gemma Vasquez, the Gibraltarian lawyer who led the Rock’s Remain campaign, remembers she was cut off from her Spanish grandmother and believes Spain could repeat its behaviour in order to gain control and finally sovereignty over the Rock.

Madrid’s claim to Gibraltar goes back 300 years, with a blockade by Spain resulting in 13,000 essential Spanish workers not being able to enter Gibraltar along with perishable goods and much more. One CEO of an import business believes Spain would certainly impose a blockade should a no-deal Brexit become a reality, adding that even without one, it would take very little time for cars and lorries to back up for many miles should Spanish customs decide to examine all passports. Under those circumstances, there would be no need for an official blockade. Gibraltar isn’t a part of the EU’s customs union, with goods arriving from Spain subject to tariffs in the normal manner, making a blockade even more damaging for the Rock and its residents. As regards expats living and working in tiny Gibraltar, it’s presumed they would need to get some sort of visa to cross the border with Spain, even for a day trip to see family and friends.