- Title: Gibraltar fears Brexit
- Date: 26th May 2016
- Summary: LA LINEA DE LA CONCEPCION, SPAIN (RECENT) (REUTERS) BORDER CONTROL ON SPANISH SIDE AND ROCK OF GIBRALTAR IN THE BACKGROUND SPANISH FLAG AT BORDER CONTROL AND IN THE BACKGROUND THE UNION JACK FLYING ATOP THE MOORISH CASTLE IN GIBRALTAR CARS HEADING TO BORDER CARS AT CHECKPOINT VARIOUS OF CARS HEADING TO BORDER CUSTOMS CHECKPOINT VARIOUS OF PEOPLE HEADING TO PASSPORT CONTROL POINT TO CROSS THE BORDER ON FOOT CARS HEADING TO BORDER CHECKPOINT PEOPLE AND CARS AT BORDER CHECKPOINT GIBRALTAR (RECENT) (REUTERS) GRAND CASEMATES GATES LEADING TO GIBRALTAR'S MAIN CASEMATES SQUARE UNION JACK ON TOWER OF MOORISH CASTLE 6 CONVENT PLACE, THE HEADQUARTERS OF THE GIBRALTAR GOVERNMENT PEOPLE WALKING PAST "NUMBER 6" UNION JACK, THE FLAG OF GIBRALTAR AND THE EUROPEAN UNION FLAG ABOVE "NUMBER 6" EXTERIOR OF NUMBER 6 DEPUTY CHIEF MINISTER DR. JOSEPH GARCIA AT INTERVIEW (SOUNDBITE) (English) GIBRALTAR DEPUTY CHIEF MINISTER, DR. JOSEPH GARCIA, SAYING: "Gibraltar serves as an economic motor and an economic engine of the region next to Gibraltar as well, but again that depends on an open, free-flowing border and that is guaranteed by the European Commission, by the European Union, by European Union law. If we didn't have that border would be far more difficult, we would have an issue with tourists, we would have an issue with workers coming in every day." CHANGING OF THE GUARD PICTURE OF QUEEN ELIZABETH II THROUGH GATES VARIOUS OF GUARDS (SOUNDBITE) (English) GIBRALTAR DEPUTY CHIEF MINISTER, DR. JOSEPH GARCIA, SAYING: "If Gibraltar and the UK were to leave the European Union, it would place the border, the fluidity of the border, indeed the very fact of whether the border is open or closed, it would place that at the mercy of Madrid and that would have very serious economic consequences for us." CANNON IN FRONT OF "NUMBER 6" PEOPLE WALKING PAST PUB ON GIBRALTAR'S MAIN STREET CAFE UMBRELLA READING "GIBRALTAR ARMS" PEOPLE WALKING PAST GIBRALTAR ARMS AND BOARD OUTSIDE ADVERTISING SUNDAY ROAST EXTERIOR GIBRALTAR SAVINGS BANK PEOPLE WALKING PAST BANK VARIOUS OF EXTERIOR GIBRALTAR INTERNATIONAL BANK ATM MACHINES VARIOUS OF BUSY STREETS VARIOUS OF WINDOW CLEANERS CLEANING WINDOWS OF THE STRONGER IN EUROPE CAMPAIGN OFFICE INFORMATION LEAFLETS AND APPLICATIONS TO VOTE BY PROXY IN THE EU REFERENDUM APPLICATION TO VOTE BY PROXY IN THE EU REFERENDUM VOLUNTEER HANDING LEAFLET TO CUSTOMER LEAFLET VOLUNTEER TALKING TO COUPLE SPOKESWOMAN FOR THE GIBRALTAR STRONGER IN EUROPE CAMPAIGN GEMMA VASQUEZ AND VOLUNTEER TEXTING ON PHONE (SOUNDBITE) (English) SPOKESWOMAN FOR THE GIBRALTAR STRONGER IN EUROPE CAMPAIGN, GEMMA VASQUEZ, SAYING: "We market Gibraltar as a jurisdiction which is a foothold into the rest of Europe. You can set up a firm here and 'passport' to the rest of Europe. We have lots of benefits that the EU has granted us, so for us and because we have positioned ourselves within the EU, it's fundamental for us to remain in the EU so our economy can continue to thrive." OUTDOOR CAFES GIBRALTAR SOUVENIRS VARIOUS OF LIFE MEMBER OF THE GIBRALTAR SOCIAL DEMOCRATS (GSD) EXECUTIVE TERRY CARTWRIGHT AND MISS GIBRALTAR 1967 LAURA BASSADONE CHATTING AT TABLE OF OUTDOOR CAFE (SOUNDBITE) (English) LIFE MEMBER OF THE GIBRALTAR SOCIAL DEMOCRATS (GSD) EXECUTIVE, TERRY CARTWRIGHT, SAYING: "If I was living in England I'd vote out most definitely, but I'm living here and my loyalty is to Gibraltar in the main because I live here, my children are here, my grandchildren are here, so I will vote in." (SOUNDBITE) (English) MISS GIBRALTAR 1967, LAURA BASSADONE, SAYING: "Gibraltar has a lot of commercial premises, people here, you know, a lot of companies and I think it will affect Gibraltar, the utmost there." PEOPLE ON STREET FORMER MAYOR OF GIBRALTAR (AUGUST 2008 - JULY 2009) SOLOMON LEVY WALKING DOWN BUSY STREET (SOUNDBITE) (English) FORMER MAYOR OF GIBRALTAR (AUGUST 2008 - JULY 2009), SOLOMON LEVY, SAYING: "I think that when it comes to the right moment every Englishman will think and they will put the cross to stay in. Unfortunately, there will be those who will not be staying in, but I really hope that we stay, otherwise for Gibraltar it's disastrous." (SOUNDBITE) (English) HENRY VINET, GIBRALTARIAN RESIDENT IN GIBRALTAR, SAYING: "Here in Gibraltar if we come out of the EU it's going to be very difficult for us, because now as we are politically with Spain, the EU is trying to impose the rules of the EU but if we come out of the EU, then Spain will not be obliged by the EU and they can impose things on Gibraltar like closing the frontier and putting restrictions and things like that." TOURISTS POSING IN FRONT OF RED TELEPHONE BOXES AS PHOTOGRAPH IS TAKEN PEOPLE WALKING PAST SHOP POSTER IN SHOP READING "2016 EU REFERENDUM, YOU CAN'T MISS IT" VARIOUS OF EXTERIOR OF THE SQUARE CAFE FISH AND CHIPS RESTAURANT VARIOUS OF SPANISH CHEF LUIS MIGUEL SENOR PREPARING FISH IN THE SQUARE CAFE KITCHEN (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) SPANISH CHEF WORKING IN GIBRALTAR, LUIS MIGUEL SENOR, SAYING: "The truth is I am really worried, because if that (Brexit) were to happen, I, along with another 9000 Spaniards working here, if the border is closed, will be out of work. The area of Campo de Gibraltar (in Spain bordering Gibraltar) is an area with amongst the highest unemployment." SIGNS AT BORDER READING "TO SPAIN" AND "TO AIRPORT" PEOPLE WALKING TOWARDS BORDER CHECKPOINT PEOPLE WALKING ACROSS TARMAC OF GIBRALTAR AIRPORT TO GET TO BORDER CONTROL POINTS BRITISH AIRWAYS PLAN PARKED ON TARMAC / PEOPLE WALKING PAST TO GET TO BORDER CARS DRIVING PAST UK POLICE AND CUSTOMS OFFICIALS CARS QUEUING TO CROSS BORDER STATUE OF LION AND FLAGS OF THE EU, GIBRALTAR AND THE UNION JACK IN THE BACKGROUND
- Embargoed: 10th June 2016 08:07
- Keywords: Gibraltar Brexit EU
- Location: LA LINEA DE LA CONCEPCION, SPAIN AND GILBRALTAR
- City: LA LINEA DE LA CONCEPCION, SPAIN AND GILBRALTAR
- Country: Gibraltar
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA0014JFZPS7
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Gibraltar, the British overseas territory in the Mediterranean known as the Rock, is shaken by the prospects of a Brexit when the United Kingdom goes to the polls on June 23 to decide whether it will remain in or leave the European Union.
Although no official poll has been carried out Britain's 6 square kilometre overseas territory, the 23,000 Gibraltarians who have registered to vote are overwhelmingly expected to choose to remain in the EU and the government of the Rock is advising people to vote against a Brexit, citing both political and economic reasons.
Gibraltar shares a 1.2 kilometre border with Spain which wants to reclaim Gibraltar three centuries after ceding it to Britain in the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht, as part of a settlement of the War of Spanish Succession.
Having a hostile neighbour, Deputy Chief Minister Joseph Garcia said, makes the case to remain in Europe necessary.
Ten thousand people, 7000 of them Spanish, cross the border every day from Spain to work in Gibraltar and 10 million tourists visit the Rock every year, making tourism the biggest money generator for the British overseas territory.
The EU, the Gibraltar government says, is the only body that can guarantee fluid border crossing if Spain decides to impose tough controls at the non-Schengen border, like in 2013 when checks by Spanish authorities, who argued they were necessary to stop contraband, caused delays of six to seven hours in both directions.
"Gibraltar serves as an economic motor and an economic engine of the region next to Gibraltar as well, but again that depends on an open, free-flowing border and that is guaranteed by the European Commission, by the European Union, by European Union law," Garcia said pointing out that a fluid border has economic benefits for Spain, which has over 20% unemployment, as well as for Gibraltar.
"If Gibraltar and the UK were to leave the European Union, it would place the border, the fluidity of the border, indeed the very fact of whether the border is open or closed, it would place that at the mercy of Madrid and that would have very serious economic consequences for us," Garcia added, pointing out at the acting Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Garcia Margallo has already said that if Great Britain chooses to leave the EU, Spain will be "talking about Gibraltar the very next day."
The Gibraltar Chamber of Commerce says the Rock's registered workforce has grown from 16,874 in 2005 to 24,422 in 2015, a rise of 50% in ten years. Low corporate tax and Gibraltar's position in the EU has made it an attractive place to set up business, creating new opportunities in sectors such as e-commerce, online gaming and the insurance and financial sectors.
If the UK voted to leave the EU, all those businesses would be subject to the agreement the UK would reach with the European Union over the two years after the vote. For Gibraltar the uncertainty of such an agreement is too much of a risk.
"We market Gibraltar as a jurisdiction which is a foothold into the rest of Europe. You can set up a firm here and 'passport' to the rest of Europe. We have lots of benefits that the EU has granted us, so for us and because we have positioned ourselves within the EU, it's fundamental for us to remain in the EU so our economy can continue to thrive," Gemma Vasquez, spokeswoman for Gibraltar's Stronger in Europe campaign said.
Even Gibraltar residents who would vote in favour to leave the EU if they lived in the UK, agree that leaving the European Union would be to the detriment of Gibraltar.
"If I was living in England I'd vote out most definitely, but I'm living here and my loyalty is to Gibraltar in the main because I live here, my children are here, my grandchildren are here, so I will vote in," said life member of the Gibraltar Social Democrats (GSD) executive Terry Cartwright who has been living on the Rock for 44 years. Cartwright is originally from Manchester, England.
For the thousands of Spaniards who cross the border every day from Campo de Gibraltar on the Spanish side to Gibraltar, passing through the airport tarmac just beyond the border control, the possibility of Britain's exit from the EU generates great concern.
"The truth is I am really worried, because if that were to happen, I, along with another 9000 Spaniards working here, if the border is closed, will be out of work. The area of Campo de Gibraltar (in Spain, bordering Gibraltar) has amongst the highest unemployment," said Luis Miguel Senor, a Spanish chef who works at The Square Restaurant and Bar where the specialty is Fish and Chips.
A study commissioned by the Gibraltar Chamber of Commerce and carried out by the University of Bournemouth in the UK using data from 2013 reported that Gibraltar accounted for one out of every four jobs in the Campo de Gibraltar region, up from one out of every six jobs in the 2009, and that Gibraltar's economy accounts for one quarter of the Campo de Gibraltar's GDP, up from one eighth in the 2009 study. The study said Gibraltar increased the GDP of the Campo de Gibraltar region by 775m Euros.
The border between Spain and Gibraltar was closed by Spanish dictator Francisco Franco on June 8, 1969 and did not reopen fully until February 1985, as Spain sought to normalize relations ahead of its entry into the European Common Market in January 1986.
With a population of over 32, 000 people in six square kilometres area, Gibraltar is one of Europe's most densely populated areas, leading many Gibraltarians, as well as Britons and other Europeans who work on the Rock, to live in Spain, taking advantage of lower property prices and more space. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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