The recent escalation of the so-called ‘Gibraltar Problem’ reminds us that in any discussion of the Rock’s future, it is the Gibraltarians that need to be put first. But recent events also invite us to think about Gibraltar’s relationship with people in the UK.
José Ignacio Echániz, the PP’s National Secretary for Health and Social Affairs has described Gibraltar’s health service as being inferior to Spanish medical provision and suggests that, as a result, many Gibraltarians with homes in Spain are making full use of Spanish health facilities.
Writing in today’s Wall Street Journal, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Garcia Margallo claimed that the UN has clearly established that Gibraltar’s colonial situation needs to come to end, through negotiations between the UK and Spain. He adds that since the beginning of the current legislation, the Spanish Government has urged the UK to resume bilateral negotiations on the issue of Gibraltar’s sovereignty.
This Thursday, individuals caught in frontier queues will be able to voice their concerns through a new complaints procedure. All information received through this new scheme will allow the Gibraltar Government to provide more accurate statistics to the European Commission and, if necessary, to prepare a court case. The procedure is open to people of any nationality who have suffered from the delays. Individuals must provide their name, address, nationality and passport or ID number when filing complaints.
