Foreign Office summons Spanish Ambassador over Gibraltar border delays
Spanish Ambassador summoned to the Foreign Office in relation to delays at the Gibraltar border this weekend
FCO Political Director Simon Gass today summoned the Spanish Ambassador to the UK, H.E. Federico Trillo, in order to underline the British Government’s serious concerns regarding delays at the Gibraltar-Spain border, and to seek reassurances that there would be no repeat of the additional checks this weekend.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office Minister of State Hugo Swire, said:
“From 26 to 28 July, and again on 30 July, there were long delays at the Gibraltar-Spain border of up to seven hours, as a result of wholly disproportionate checks introduced by the Spanish authorities on vehicles both leaving and entering Gibraltar.
“Disruption to border flows has a direct impact on the prosperity and well-being of communities on both sides of the border. The UK Government’s position is that these delays are unjustified, unacceptable and have no place at a border between EU partners.”
Further information
The Spanish Ambassador to the United Kingdom was last summoned to the FCO in November 2012 following two serious incursions into British Gibraltar Territorial Waters.
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