Doha: Spain and Gibraltar, the British overseas territory, lifted border controls along their shared frontier on Wednesday. During a ceremony marking the dismantling of the metal fence and crossing points separating the Spanish town of La Linea de la Concepcion from the British territory, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez termed the move "the closing of an open wound."

According to Qatar News Agency, Sanchez noted that an agreement allowing free movement across the border had entered into force. Sanchez described the end of routine border checks as a "historic moment," saying that for decades, the border fence was an open wound for thousands of workers who cross every day. He remarked that today, a good chapter in history is written with the fall of the last wall in Europe.

Sanchez further explained that the agreement, attended by Gibraltar Chief Minister Fabian Picardo after this deal took effect at midnight, opens the way for a "new era" of shared prosperity in the region. The UK and the EU signed the deal on Tuesday to lift border controls between Madrid and Gibraltar after years of disputes following Britain's withdrawal from the bloc in 2020.

Located at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula on a rocky promontory extending into the Mediterranean Sea, Gibraltar relies on almost 15,000 workers who cross daily from Spain, accounting for roughly half of its workforce.