Spain reopens border with Gibraltar

Spain has reopened its border with Gibraltar after sealing it for the first time in nearly two decades as a cruise ship carrying…

Spain has reopened its border with Gibraltar after sealing it for the first time in nearly two decades as a cruise ship carrying tourists with a stomach infection docked there.

The border was reopened two hours after the Aurora, carrying hundreds of British tourists who have suffered from the infection, sailed for Southampton on Monday.

The Gibraltar government's decision to allow the ship to dock prompted Spain to close the border between the Rock and Spain early on Monday morning, leaving hundreds of workers and tourists stranded on the wrong side.

Spain said the closure was a provisional measure designed to protect its citizens' health while it sought more information from British authorities. But British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw called it "unnecessary and disproportionate".

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The closure revived tensions between Madrid and London over the disputed territory at the foot of Spain. Some 4,000 Spaniards cross the border every day to work in Gibraltar.