https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Spain in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed Anyone crossing the land border from France into Spain will have to present a negative PCR test taken in the last 72 hours, the Spanish government's official bulletin said on Saturday. https://www.thelocal.es/20210327/spain-to-require-negative-pcr-at-french-land-border Sat, 27 Mar 2021 13:17:06 +0100 spain-to-require-negative-pcr-at-french-land-border The European Commission has proposed creating new "dark red zones" which would be subject to tight travel restrictions whilst Europeans have been "strongly discouraged" from all but essential travel within the EU as Covid-19 infections rise. https://www.thelocal.es/20210122/europeans-urged-not-to-travel-as-eu-agency-demands-tighter-measures Fri, 22 Jan 2021 12:24:12 +0100 europeans-urged-not-to-travel-as-eu-agency-demands-tighter-measures The UK government has announced that it is introducing new rules stating that all arrivals into the country will need to present a negative Covid test. https://www.thelocal.es/20210108/all-arrivals-into-the-uk-will-soon-need-a-negative-covid-test-government-announced Fri, 08 Jan 2021 11:22:26 +0100 all-arrivals-into-the-uk-will-soon-need-a-negative-covid-test-government-announced Bangers and mash, pints of beer, a Europeans vs Britons tug-of-war and renditions of "Don't Leave me This Way" and "We'll Meet Again". UK expats in Spain marked Britain's departure from the European Union in true British style. https://www.thelocal.es/20210101/dont-leave-me-this-way-sing-britons-in-spain-as-brexit-kicks-in Fri, 01 Jan 2021 21:34:12 +0100 dont-leave-me-this-way-sing-britons-in-spain-as-brexit-kicks-in Here's a reminder to Britons living around Europe of some of the rules they will have to abide by when travelling after January 1st 2021. https://www.thelocal.es/20201209/brexit-reminder-what-brits-in-europe-need-to-know-about-travel-after-december-31st Wed, 09 Dec 2020 16:36:05 +0100 brexit-reminder-what-brits-in-europe-need-to-know-about-travel-after-december-31st The UK government's decision to end freedom of movement does not just hit Brits in the UK, but also those living around the EU who may need or simply want to move to another EU country in future. Please tell us if you are affected. https://www.thelocal.es/20201214/landlocked-in-the-eu-are-you-affected-by-loss-of-onward-freedom-of-movement Mon, 14 Dec 2020 15:49:03 +0100 landlocked-in-the-eu-are-you-affected-by-loss-of-onward-freedom-of-movement Spain’s Tourism Minister Reyes Maroto believes a resurgence in coronavirus cases in Catalonia shouldn't prompt the closure of its border with France. https://www.thelocal.es/20200722/spain-hopes-to-keep-french-border-open-despite-surge-in-covid-19-cases Wed, 22 Jul 2020 17:50:15 +0200 spain-hopes-to-keep-french-border-open-despite-surge-in-covid-19-cases EU countries have finally agreed to reopen their external borders on July 1st to visitors from 15 countries but American tourists will still not be allowed to travel to Europe because the US is still considered a risk due to the high number of Covid-19 cases. https://www.thelocal.es/20200629/eu-to-allow-visitors-from-14-safe-countries-but-not-the-us Mon, 29 Jun 2020 21:17:02 +0200 eu-to-allow-visitors-from-14-safe-countries-but-not-the-us As European countries emerge from their coronavirus lockdowns and lift travel restrictions to revive their tourist industries, the EU has been aiming to coordinate the border reopening among its 27 members. But it hasn't quite worked out like that. https://www.thelocal.es/20200615/open-borders-europes-haphazard-route-to-ending-travel-restrictions Mon, 15 Jun 2020 12:02:25 +0200 open-borders-europes-haphazard-route-to-ending-travel-restrictions The EU's external borders have been effectively closed since mid-March due to the coronavirus pandemic but the European Commission is set to announce a plan for a "progressive and partial" reopening of them from July 1st. https://www.thelocal.es/20200610/eu-proposes-progressive-and-partial-reopening-of-borders-in-july Wed, 10 Jun 2020 15:11:04 +0200 eu-proposes-progressive-and-partial-reopening-of-borders-in-july The Spanish government has made a U-turn after initially announcing it would reopen its land borders with France and Portugal on June 22nd. https://www.thelocal.es/20200604/spain-to-reopen-land-border-with-france-and-ditch-14-day-quarantine Thu, 04 Jun 2020 14:11:00 +0200 spain-to-reopen-land-border-with-france-and-ditch-14-day-quarantine The European Union will impose an entry ban on travellers from outside the bloc for 30 days to battle the spread of the coronavirus, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Tuesday. https://www.thelocal.es/20200317/eu-imposes-entry-ban-for-30-days-in-bid-to-slow-coronavirus-pandemic Tue, 17 Mar 2020 21:43:30 +0100 eu-imposes-entry-ban-for-30-days-in-bid-to-slow-coronavirus-pandemic Spain will close its borders with France and Portugal at midnight on Monday to contain the spread of the coronavirus. https://www.thelocal.es/20200316/spain-to-close-land-borders-to-halt-coronavirus-spread Mon, 16 Mar 2020 18:44:16 +0100 spain-to-close-land-borders-to-halt-coronavirus-spread A year ago Donald Trump's first TV campaign ad showed footage of immigrants trying to flee to a Spanish enclave as he pledged to build a wall on the US border with Mexico. After the US President promised to press ahead with the plan, we take a closer look at Spain's two border fences. https://www.thelocal.es/20170126/what-donald-trump-can-learn-from-spains-two-border-fences Thu, 26 Jan 2017 13:37:01 +0100 what-donald-trump-can-learn-from-spains-two-border-fences What’s in a few cm? Well the difference between being free and being locked up in a detention centre for one lucky Moroccan man. https://www.thelocal.es/20160915/man-freed-after-french-police-stop-him-10cm-inside-spain Thu, 15 Sep 2016 16:37:15 +0200 man-freed-after-french-police-stop-him-10cm-inside-spain Spain's interior minister said on Thursday the country's foreign enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla in northern Africa were experiencing "a state of emergency" in the face of pressure from immigrants. https://www.thelocal.es/20140306/border-situation-is-state-of-emergency Thu, 06 Mar 2014 19:00:00 +0100 border-situation-is-state-of-emergency A coalition of left-wing parties on Wednesday called for Spain's Interior Minister to step down after 15 immigrants died while trying to swim to the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in early February. https://www.thelocal.es/20140219/interior-minister-should-resign-over-immigrant-deaths Wed, 19 Feb 2014 17:12:00 +0100 interior-minister-should-resign-over-immigrant-deaths Spain could use drones to shore up its African borders in Ceuta and Melilla instead of the razor wire deterrent currently being used, the country's opposition socialist PSOE party said on Thursday. https://www.thelocal.es/20131128/spain-should-use-drones-to-defend-borders Thu, 28 Nov 2013 18:31:00 +0100 spain-should-use-drones-to-defend-borders