Gibraltar is stockpiling emergency medicine in tunnels under its famous rock in case Brexit negotiations with Spain fail.
Since Brexit, Spain has waived border controls whilst negotiations have taken place, allowing Gibraltarians and Spaniards to cross freely, but those talks are still ongoing three years later.
Spain is pushing the UK to accept EU border demands and has threatened that a “no deal” will mean a hard border with severe implications for trade and imports, including emergency medical supplies.
A government spokesperson told the Telegraph: “Maintaining stock levels, especially for the health service, is an essential part of preparations for a non-negotiated outcome.”
Gibraltar is using the miles of tunnels dug by the British Army during their 200-year presence on the British territory.
The tunnels have been used in various conflicts, including the Siege of Gibraltar, the Spanish Civil war and World War Two.
But any disruption is likely to affect people on both sides of the border, with Spaniards relying on it just as much as Gibraltarians.
Tomorrow, the border town of La Linea is set to hold a protest urging all sides to come together and find an agreement to prevent damaging livelihoods by imposing a hard border.
It is estimated that 11,000 Spaniards work in Gibraltar and cross the border each day, boosting the economies on both sides.
Juan Franco, the mayor of La Linea has handed out leaflets saying “We don’t want another 1969,” a reference to the year in which the Spanish dictator Franco closed the border and decimated the town’s economy.
Madrid has historically imposed restrictions on the island to score political points against the UK, with Franco’s border restrictions lasting 16 years.
The negotiations regarding the border take place with the backdrop of a sovereignty dispute looming large.
Gibraltar is a British territory, but Spain has long claimed that the island should belong to them.
Gibraltarian Chief Minister Fabian Picardo has insisted throughout that there will be no Spanish border guards on Gibraltarian soil.
Earlier this month, Spain urged the UK to accept what it called a “generous deal” or else risk the introduction of a much-maligned electronic border system being introduced in November.