Frontier flows normally on first day at work after Spain lockdown

The Gibraltar frontier was flowing normally on Monday morning as cross-border workers returned to work.

Armed with papers in hand showing that they worked in Gibraltar, one worker said: “I’ve had no problem entering, I needed the papers but they have only glanced at them.”

There was fluidity in the flow at 7.30am as the bulk of workers entered. Vehicles rolled in with little hesitation at the border checks. With no restrictions in the Gibraltar side of the border there was only a momentary pause as they entered as the Spanish authorities glanced at the paperwork.

“It’s very much as normal, if anything there is a little less volume because tourists are not coming in,” an immigration officer at the border told this reporter.

A police inspector checking the border indicated the same.

Construction workers, officer workers and other private sector workers converged through the border, with the occasional person wearing a mask.

“I have had no problem, but now let’s see what happens when I return,” said one Spanish National waiting for other workers to be picked up by the work vans.

There were some differences though for workers who usually travel to their place of work by bus.

“We are usually packed at this time of the morning but it’s only been three or four people at a time,” a bus driver at the border said as he pointed to the empty seats on his bus.

The Gibraltar Government has also introduced restrictions to restrict the use of buses.