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The Government of Gibraltar has announced the end of the Gibraltar-Morocco ferry service, operated by DFDS (formerly FRS), as a result of the new UK-EU agreement on Gibraltar, which is set to take provisional effect on July 15.
Under the new arrangements, passengers arriving by ferry from Morocco would be subject to permanent Schengen checks by Spanish police at Gibraltar's port. To avoid those controls, Gibraltar has decided to end the route and concentrate all Schengen border checks at its airport.
In a statement, the government described the closure as «the end of an important chapter» in Gibraltar's relationship with Morocco. It noted that the ferry, which had served for more than two decades, allowed Gibraltar's Moroccan community to maintain close family, cultural, religious, and economic ties with the Kingdom and stood as «a powerful symbol of the enduring friendship between Gibraltar and Morocco».
Chief Minister Fabian Picardo said the route had also become economically unviable, as most passengers now travel between Spain and Morocco via the ports of Algeciras and Tarifa. He added that the service had mainly been used by members of Gibraltar's Moroccan community who could not transit through Spain because they lacked British passports or Schengen visas.
Picardo acknowledged that the closure would be felt most by Gibraltar's Moroccan community, while Minister for Relations with Morocco John Cortes said the ferry had been «more than a means of travel», carrying workers and families across the Strait for many years. The government stressed that it would continue to support Gibraltar's Moroccan community and maintain its longstanding ties with Morocco.
The announcement was accompanied by a travel advisory reminding residents planning to invite relatives from Morocco that, once the new arrangements take effect, Moroccan nationals travelling to Gibraltar via Spain will need a Schengen visa.
