Govt rejects ‘misleading’ claims on Gibraltarian Status Bill 

The Gibraltar Government has rejected “misleading claims being made by critics” regarding the Gibraltarian Status Bill.   

This comes after comments from Together Gibraltar which called the changes “reckless”. 

The Government said the changes introduced are “responsible, considered and align with current times”.  

“They are designed to protect the integrity of Gibraltarian Status and ensure that the rights and privileges associated with being Gibraltarian are preserved for those who have a genuine and continuing connection to Gibraltar,” the Government said. 

“Not because ‘a person had an unregistered grandmother who happened to be born in Gibraltar in 1924’, as an example. This fact to date, has provided an avenue for someone and their children to obtain automatic red ID cards.” 

“Individuals who have not lived in Gibraltar for many years have continued to claim benefits and entitlements meant for those who live and contribute to our community. Others have taken advantage to unfairly access public resources. The Government has a duty to act decisively.” 

“The suggestion that these reforms will create a ‘lost generation”’is simply wrong.” 

The Government added the new requirements for registration are designed to bring clarity and certainty, not exclusion.  

“No child who is genuinely entitled to Gibraltarian Status will lose that entitlement,” the Government said. 

“The process ensures that all eligible children are properly recorded, enabling them to access their rights with greater certainty. It is a straightforward administrative measure that prevents confusion and strengthens the link between status and genuine residence.” 

“In 99.9% of cases, parents would register their child at birth and not after the age of 8. This is more about Section 9 and Section 5 of the Act, persons obtaining this status before this Bill after 10 years in Gibraltar and under Section 5, ‘by descent’.” 

The Government added that is important to recognise that past abuses of the residency and registration systems contributed significantly to the pressures faced today.  

The Government said its residency reforms are not reactionary, they are part of a carefully considered effort to protect fairness and to ensure that those who live, work and raise families in Gibraltar are not disadvantaged by others misusing the system, all while the new immigration Treaty framework is worked through. 

“The Gibraltarian Status Bill is about fairness, accountability and respect for our shared identity,” the Government said. 

“It ensures that being a registered Gibraltarian remains a reflection of a real connection to our homeland, not an entitlement disconnected from our community or responsibilities. These are reforms that strengthen, not weaken, the social fabric of Gibraltar.” 

The Government also invited the Bill’s critics to look in detail at what’s happening in relation to Immigration in the UK, Europe and the rest of the world.  

The statement added that far more serious changes are happening elsewhere, all with the same mission to protect their own justifications from abuse and immigration circumvention. 

The Chief Minister Fabian Picardo said the Gibraltarian Status Bill represents a responsible and necessary step forward in modernising local laws to reflect today’s realities.  

“Our duty as a Government is to ensure that Gibraltarian status remains meaningful and fair, that it reflects a true and continuing bond with Gibraltar,” Mr Picardo said. 

“These reforms strike the right balance between protecting the rights of those who belong.”  

“I understand that change can be unsettling, but this legislation is guided by a simple principle: to preserve the integrity of what it means to be Gibraltarian, for this generation and the next.” 

The changes drew criticism from Together Gibraltar, which said this could risk creating a lost generation of young people cut off from their roots, their culture and their wider families. 

“In 2023 Sir Joe Bossano estimated that less than half of Gibraltarians who study abroad return to work on the Rock,” TG said. 

“That means more and more of our young people are already being forced to build their lives abroad, in large part due to struggles with housing and job opportunities in Gibraltar.” 

“Under the new rules put forward by the government, parents must register their children before the age of 8 to ensure those children will have guaranteed access to university funding at the same time as their peers. Under current plans, if parents do not register their children by age 18, young people, through no fault of their own, will lose their right to Gibraltarian status completely.” 

The group added that it is “already hard enough for Gibraltarian families to return home”.  

“The two tier housing system makes it nearly impossible for many to access affordable accommodation,” TG said. 

“We know that many Gibraltarians abroad remain registered at their parents’ address to avoid being struck off the housing list.” 

“They feel they have no other choice because private rents are so high that returning home to raise a family would be impossible for many. We should never accept a system that encourages honest Gibraltarians to lie.” 

Together Gibraltar said it believes in fairness, planning and respect.  

“We call on the Government to reverse these kneejerk changes, to guarantee that children of Gibraltarians will not lose their rights because of arbitrary deadlines, and to address the housing crisis that already makes it near impossible for families to return,” TG said. 

“If we continue down this path, Gibraltar risks losing not just talent but generations of young people who will grow up disconnected from their homeland. We cannot afford a Gibraltar where only the wealthy or the well connected can belong.”