As one of the busiest waterways in the world, the strait of Gibraltar offers a unique opportunity to increase prosperity. Combined with the booming financial services of the British Overseas Territory and the heavily industrialised Spanish side, the bay area can be seen as a melting pot for global trade. A look at the Spanish border town La Linea de la Concepcion tells a different story.

For several decades the media portrayed it as a lawless town built on crime, highlighting the illegal trade of drugs. This leaves the public debate to a moral judgement, but obscures the structural causes of economic and socio-political challenges. High levels of unemployment, particularly among the younger generation, remains a problem for the city.