Britain and Spain reach agreement to keep the border with Gibraltar OPEN by including it in the EU's free movement area after Brexit tonight

Britain today struck a last-gasp deal with Spain to keep Gibraltar's vital border open after Brexit takes place tonight.  

The Rock's status was not covered in the trade agreement reached by Boris Johnson on Christmas Eve, prompting concerns about what would happen when the transition period ends at 11pm.

The British Overseas Territory, whose sovereignty is disputed by Madrid, will remain subject to the rules of the free-travel Schengen area, Spain's foreign minister said.

Arancha Gonzalez Laya announced that the 'agreement in principle' means people in Gibraltar 'can breathe a sigh of relief'. 

A lot was riding on the outcome for Gibraltar, which needs access to the EU market for its economy. The territory is home to around 34,000 people

Arancha Gonzalez Laya announced that the 'agreement in principle' means people in Gibraltar 'can breathe a sigh of relief'.

The British Overseas Territory, whose sovereignty is disputed by Madrid, will remain subject to the rule of the free-travel Schengen area

The Rock on the Med 

Gibraltar is a rocky 2.6-square mile peninsular just 10 miles from north Africa.

It was formally ceded in perpetuity to Britain in 1713 under the terms of the Treaty of Utrecht which brought an end to the War of the Spanish Succession.

Named in Arabic 'Jabal Tariq', after the Muslim commander Tariq Ibn-Ziyad who turned the Rock into a fortress in 711, it has been an important naval base for more than 1,000 years.

That long maritime history explains its diverse population, with many residents of mixed Genoese, British, Spanish and Maltese descent.

Most Gibraltarians can speak both English and Spanish.

As a British overseas territory, it is home to a military garrison and has a naval base. But over the past few decades, the EU has sought to put pressure on London and Madrid to resolve its future status.

The Rock's 2006 constitution stipulates that there can be no transfer of sovereignty to Spain against the wishes of its voters.

In a referendum in 2002, Gibraltarians resoundingly rejected the idea of joint sovereignty.

Free travel between Spain and Gibraltar was fully restored in 1985, but travellers continued to suffer delays at the border.

In late 2006, passenger flights between Spain and Gibraltar resumed for the first time in nearly 30 years, though seven years later there were renewed border checks by Spain in response to a Gibraltarian plan to build an artificial reef.

The 2006 air link was restored after Gibraltar, Spain and Britain signed agreements aimed at improving living conditions on the Rock.

She said that further details on the agreement would be published in the New Year.

A lot was riding on the outcome for Gibraltar, which needs access to the EU market for its economy. The territory is home to around 34,000 people.

They faced the possibility of entering the new year with tight new controls on what for decades has been an open border with the Spanish town of La Línea de la Concepción.

More than 15,000 people live in Spain and work in Gibraltar, making up about 50 per cent of its labour market.

In the Brexit referendum, 96 per cent of voters in Gibraltar supported remaining in the EU.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said: 'Today, working side by side with the chief minister of Gibraltar, and following intensive discussions with the Spanish government, we reached agreement on a political framework to form the basis of a separate treaty between the UK and the EU regarding Gibraltar.

'We will now send this to the European Commission, in order to initiate negotiations on the formal treaty.

'In the meantime, all sides are committed to mitigating the effects of the end of the transition period on Gibraltar, and in particular ensure border fluidity, which is clearly in the best interests of the people living on both sides.

'We remain steadfast in our support for Gibraltar and its sovereignty. I am grateful to foreign minister Laya and her team for their positive and constructive approach.

'We have a warm and strong relationship with Spain, and we look forward to building on it in 2021.'

The Schengen zone is an area made up of 26 European countries, of which the UK is not one, that have officially abolished all passport and all other types of border control at their mutual borders. 

It enables every EU citizen to travel, work and live in any EU country without special formalities.