The Government of Gibraltar has set out the enhanced security measures now in place at the frontier and published artist impressions of how the border area will look once the Treaty is implemented provisionally from 15 July. The Chief Minister toured the eastern end of the border with local media to demonstrate the new arrangements first hand.

The clarification follows the removal of sections of the old perimeter fence, which prompted some concern. The Government wishes to reassure the public that Gibraltar's security is not being reduced but materially strengthened. As the old chain-link and barbed-wire fencing comes down, a new, high-security fence line has already been erected only a few metres away.

The new fence is category 4 fencing, the same "no-climb" specification used around the perimeters of UK military installations. It runs from the sea to the airport, with gates that close at scheduled times to accommodate Customs and commercial operations. This means that anyone entering from the eastern fairground area would meet a second, more reliable barrier protecting the runway, the fuel farm, the tunnel and the Customs installation, with no pedestrian access into Gibraltar. The military estate at the western end of the border will remain fenced. The only section without a border fence will be the area of approximately 150 metres by the loop, where pedestrians have always crossed.

That open section will be covered by a permanent and significant law enforcement presence. Additional police officers are being recruited specifically to be posted north of the runway, working alongside the Royal Gibraltar Police, HM Customs and the Borders and Coastguard Agency (BCA), each operating 4x4 vehicles in the area. The zone will also be protected by a blanket of CCTV providing a permanent picture, live facial recognition cameras checking against Interpol and other wanted lists, Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras identifying vehicles known to international police systems, and improved lighting throughout.

On the safeguard within the Treaty allowing the area to be re-closed in extraordinary circumstances, the Government notes this presents no difficulty for Gibraltar. The eastern area is closed nightly for Customs and commercial works, and the western area is effectively closed as a military estate. Only the open section of approximately 150 metres would ever need to be re-closed, and this can be done quickly. Inside the air terminal, the e-gates required for the EU's Entry/Exit System are already being installed and connected to the Schengen system.

Alongside the security measures, the Government has published artist impressions, prepared by GCArchitects, of the new traffic and pedestrian arrangements planned for the area. Some elements are agreed, including the new law enforcement headquarters, the pedestrian access and the roundabout, while the final layout of lanes into Spain has yet to be finalised. Initially there will be little change to traffic flow, with vehicles crossing in both directions much as they do today, even as the area itself changes significantly.

The plans envisage a new tourist office near the former frontier and a transport hub on the site of the former Guardia Civil checks. A large canopy straddling both sides would allow Gibraltar and Spanish taxis to interline and municipal and private buses to drop off and collect passengers under cover, sheltered from rain in winter and heat in summer. Service vehicles will not cross the border but will be able to interchange passengers at this location. The main pedestrian flow will be channelled through the site of the current Customs facility, though nothing will prevent pedestrians walking the length of the open loop. A beautification programme is also planned, with greenery and planting, and 200 metres of digital screens in the tunnel on which Gibraltarian businesses can advertise, and the Government can welcome visitors. Gibraltar's flags and identity will remain fully in place, so that all who arrive know they are entering the British area of Gibraltar.

The Chief Minister has been meeting regularly with the Mayor of La Línea, Juan Franco, to coordinate the cross-border elements of the plans, with further detailed discussions expected in early August. Relevant dates are expected to be announced in mid-July.

The Chief Minister, the Hon Fabian Picardo KC MP, said:

"As people can now see for themselves, Gibraltar's security at the frontier is being strengthened, not weakened. A secondary, much better and much more reliable no-climb fence line has been erected from the sea all the way to the airport, so that anyone entering by the eastern fairground area meets another fence that stops them reaching the tunnel, the runway or any pedestrian access into Gibraltar. The only place people will be able to come through is where they always have, and that stretch will have a massive police presence, camera presence and vehicle presence to ensure that nobody comes into Gibraltar who should not. At the same time, we are seizing the opportunity this area offers to create something we can all be proud of, for the benefit of people on both sides of the frontier, while making absolutely clear to everyone who arrives that they are entering the British area of Gibraltar."