Gibraltar: The human story!

As a result of my recent article on Gibraltar, I got talking via Twitter to a young lady who is a native of The Rock and was both intrigued and touched by her family’s story.

In that article I made my views clear. I’d like to think I did it in a slightly satirical and tongue in cheek way. It’s a contentious issue and whatever the view, and whichever side you take – if you voice an opinion feathers are going to be ruffled somewhere.

That’s not my intention here at all. Talking to this young lady (who I should say here wishes to remain anonymous but gave me permission to re-tell the story she told me) reminded me of something.

Aside from the politics, aside from the debate about sovereignty, aside from the arguments about the validity of the Treaty of Utrecht, there are thousands of human stories behind the war of words going on right now. One of the reasons I believe it is for the people of Gibraltar to decide their own fate. It is not for the governments of Spain and the UK to do a deal, nor should I or anyone else who does not live there have a say, British or Spanish.

That said, I am trying my best, perhaps not that successfully, to be non-partisan with this particular post.

What really hit me talking to my anonymous new friend was when she mentioned that her mum had been reduced to tears by the whole damned thing!

Why? I’d best get on with retelling the story hadn’t I?

No. Instead, I’ll let her tell you her own story…

“My dad is Gibraltarian of Maltese decent and my mum is from the Spanish town across the border – La Linea, so like many Gibraltarians, I come from a mixed family. My parents are in their 60s and have been together since they were teens. They married in 1970 and since the border was already closed and my mother’s family’s passports would have been confiscated if they came into Gibraltar. They married in Spain but have resided in Gibraltar ever since.

Upon marrying my father my mother applied for British nationality thereby surrendering her Spanish documents. This was the only way she would be able to travel into Spain without having her passport confiscated.

Whilst I didn’t live through the closed frontier years myself, I grew up surrounded by people whose wounds were yet to scar as a result of what was done to them and their families; a people that had understandably developed a siege mentality. Yet a proud people, united in their attitude of defiance and unwavering in their convictions, something which they had proved throughout a long 13 years.

Gibraltar proved Franco wrong; he claimed ‘the Rock will fall like ripe fruit’. To this day, it hasn’t. My parents are but one example of the thousands of families that were separated; and these are the stories that I grew up listening to. Stories on the one hand of fathers and mothers that were separated from their children, siblings that were suddenly separated, grandchildren kept from their grandparents, and people who were unable to meet new additions to families or properly say goodbye to those that passed away. Also, the stories of the hardships endured as a result of finding yourself, from one day to the next, having no fresh bread, no food, no telephone, no oxygen to supply to the hospital, a workforce vastly reduced with Gibraltarian men having to work two and three jobs and Gibraltarian women taking over the baking and other necessary work just to keep things going. Stories of a determined, steadfast, dignified people who united in the face of adversity, forged a very special bond and reinforced their British identity as well as their links with Britain (and Morocco who we owe so much to).

I grew up with stories of a population across the border that decreased by 40% with thousands of families migrating to Barcelona or other Spanish cities up north or even to France, Germany, Belgium and the UK due to lack of work.”

This no doubt is just one amongst hundreds if not thousands of such stories from both sides of the Straits of Gibraltar. As much as we should be aware of the stories of the Gibraltarians we should consider the Spanish people of La Linea and the border regions who are also suffering. Many work in Gibraltar and have to face waiting for hours at the border whilst going about their daily businesses, and then there are the Spanish businesses suffering from decreasing footfall from Gibraltarians who don’t want to brave the queues to shop in Spain.

The simple fact is, as an outsider looking in, there seems to be a mutually beneficial relationship between the residents of Gibraltar and the Spanish people living in the border regions.

Madrid and London need to ask themselves if they really want to tear apart two happy peoples who’ve lived together, with exceptions on either side, pretty harmoniously for many decades, if not centuries. The politicos may have their reasons for stirring things up, it’s just such a shame it’s at the expense of two peoples who live happily together.

I don’t think it could ever go that far, but perhaps a few people need to sit back, pick up a history book and remember what happened in the former Yugoslavia where friends, neighbours and families were turned against each other. It all started with words!

Alan Gandy

Alan, along with Elle, is the owner of Spain Buddy. He was born in the North of England (Lancashire) and travelled extensively before eventually settling in Almería. Alan has 3 sons from the first of his 18 marriages, (Sam, Joe & Ben) who are all now adults. You can read more articles by Alan on his personal blog at AlanGandy.com and see more of his photography on his photography website as well as on Instagram.