The Diplomat The Government of Fabian Picardo yesterday released a technical note in which it warns Gibraltarians that as of November a new control system will come into operation at the border crossing with Spain, the same as all the external borders of the European Union will have. The system is being installed by the Spanish authorities and will be applied to entries and exits through the Gate, which will affect all citizens who are not members of an EU country and intend to access the Schengen area of free movement. This includes Gibraltarians and British residents of the colony. The new system, which Spain is installing regardless of the progress of negotiations between the United Kingdom and the European Commission on the future of Gibraltar after Brexit, is called EES (Entry Exit System). This is an automated computer system that will scan passports and provide biometric data of those who cross the Gate: fingerprints and facial images. In addition, it will maintain an electronic record of travelers' names and the dates and places of entry and exit, replacing the current system of manual passport stamping, and facilitating the calculation of the time that that traveler remains in Schengen territory. Until now, Spain has been exempting Gibraltarians in possession of the so-called red cards from the requirements to enter the Schengen area, waiting for an agreement to be reached on the future of the colony, but as of November , the EU will demand that they be treated the same as other non-EU citizens. In their technical note, the Gibraltarian authorities explain that it is an obligation within the Schengen framework and recalls the general requirements of the Border Code for non-EU citizens, including Gibraltarians. And he lists them:a) Be in possession of a passport valid until at least three months after the planned date of departure from the Schengen area and that was issued in the last 10 years; b) Be able to justify the purpose and conditions of the planned stay in the Schengen area and have sufficient means of subsistence, both during the planned stay in the Schengen area and for the return to Gibraltar; c) Not having stayed in the Schengen area for more than 90 days in any 180-day period; d) In the future, from mid-2025, be in possession of prior authorization under the ETIAS system, which will be required for travel by non-EU citizens who do not reside in a Schengen area state and that do not need a visa to enter that space. On other occasions the Picardo Government has recalled what situation the Gibraltarians will find themselves in if an agreement is not reached between London and Brussels that is accepted by Spain, but it is the first to do so after Spain has begun the installation of the new system and when the resumption of negotiations to achieve that agreement has not yet materialized, despite the wishes expressed by the Spanish Executive and the new Government of Keir Starmer. In any case, the Picardo Government insists on reminding Gibraltarians that “in the event that negotiations with the EU are not concluded successfully or are delayed beyond November, holders of Gibraltarian identity cards could be subjected to the same interrogation. on the land border with Spain, to which British citizens who hold Gibraltarian civil registration cards are currently subject." And it warns that entry would be denied to anyone who does not meet the conditions established in the Schengen Borders Code.
