History of Nationality in Gibraltar - Gibraltar As British Garrison

Gibraltar As British Garrison

Gibraltar has been described as "probably the most fought over and densely fortified place in Europe, and probably, therefore, in the world". As a fortress it was most useful to the British Empire, when the Royal Navy was internationally dominant.

Due to its conception as a military base, the constitutional development of Gibraltar was retarded. In 1720, under letters patent a civil judiciary was authorised, and in 1739 criminal and civil jurisdiction was granted to Gibraltar. However, no courts were created and this jurisdiction was exercised by the military, headed by the Governor himself.

After the Great Siege of Gibraltar, (1779–1783) Gibraltar transformed from a small military town into a major centre for European and Mediterranean trade. There was a spike in the percentage of the civilian population of foreign origin, and immigration had a large role to in defining nationality.

However, immigration to Gibraltar was discouraged. Gibraltar was one of the most densely populated areas in western Europe, and control of civilian population was the main concern of the British administration in the 19th century. In 1720, the first permit system was introduced in Gibraltar, aimed at restricting foreign labourers, who were mainly Spanish. The object of the system was to "preserve peace, order and good government in Gibraltar, to add security to the fortress, and to promote the health of the garrison." By 1891, the civilian population had grown to 19,100 which was considered problematic due to overcrowding. However, there was a trend of families settling in the neibourghing Spanish town of La Línea de la Concepción, because of less expensive housing and due to the stagnation of trade in Gibraltar. The 1891 census divided the civilian population into British subjects and Foreigners. British Subjects were recorded as "native of" either Gibraltar, the UK, Malta, other parts of Her Majesty's dominions and foreign countries. Foreigners were recorded as natives from Spain, Portugal, Italy, France, Morocco, or other nationalities.

Despite the growing civilian population, during the 18th and 19th centuries, civilians in Gibraltar were often considered as second-class citizens, subordinate of the colonial regime without significant political authority. At the time, there was a visible ethnic difference between the Gibraltarians and the British colonisers, and politically the Gibraltarians were powerless. The official citizens of Gibraltar were the garrison of soldiers and the hierarchy of colonial administrators. Furthermore, as a garrison, between 1878 and 1945 adult males outnumbered their female counterparts ten to one, and infants and children made up less than 2% of the community at any point in time. British soldiers had preferential access to scarce resources such as housing, water, fresh and frozen meat, free medical care, and their own hospital. The troops lived in barracks with sanitary facilities. In contrast, most civilian dwellings did not have running water until after World War II.