John Culatto
CHILDREN under the age of 18 will no longer be able to cross the Gibraltar frontier with Spain unless they are with an adult from Wednesday, Spanish authorities said.
Border guards could even refuse entry to minors, ending the possibility of children going to Spain independently or coming over for school by themselves.
If the Gibraltarian adult that takes them over the frontier is not their parent, Spanish border guards could make more checks on the adult and register their crossing.
They will be taking down personal details of both the adult and child.
Adults who are bringing children into Gibraltar from Spain will now have to fill in a Declaration signed by the parent of the child.
The new rules affect children who live on both sides of the frontier fence.
Gibraltar authorities believe these conditions will not affect school trips or sporting events held in Spain.
In such situations, teachers or coaches need to email a form to the Borders and Coastguard Agency one working day before travel.
Spanish border guards will enforce this new Spanish policy in line with its Schengen obligations from October 12.
The new rules come into force as talks continue to progress on an EU treaty to guarantee frontier flow after Brexit.
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