Airlines warn France faces four-hour queues as EU biometric Entry/Exit System hits crunch point
Catholic Church hails Spain’s new amnesty that will regularise 500,000 migrants
Italy’s Cabinet Approves Tough New Migration Bill with ‘Naval Blockade’ Powers
Latest News
IRCC lets International Experience Canada workers renew permits without leaving the country
IRCC has extended the policy that lets International Experience Canada participants activate subsequent work permits entirely from within Canada. IEC workers can now request the new permit online and receive it by post, avoiding costly trips abroad after Ottawa banned “flagpoling.” The move eases labour-supply headaches for Canadian employers and signals a long-term commitment to youth-mobility talent.
Nation-wide Lufthansa Strike on 12 February to Paralyse German Hubs
Pilots’ and cabin-crew unions will stage a coordinated 24-hour strike at Lufthansa on 12 February, forcing mass cancellations at Frankfurt, Munich, Düsseldorf, Cologne/Bonn and Berlin airports. The walk-out threatens to disrupt at least 120,000 passengers, many of them business travellers. Companies should prepare rerouting and remote-work contingencies as further industrial action remains possible.
Finnair posts record Q4 2025 profit and signals 5 % capacity growth for 2026
Finnair reported a 29 % jump in Q4 2025 operating profit to €61.7 million and issued bullish guidance for 2026, expecting 5 % capacity growth and up to €190 million in profit. The stronger finances mean better seat supply and lower counter-party risk for Finnish and multinational travel buyers.
Migrant nurses warn new 10-year settlement rule will split families
A Praxis survey of more than 1,000 migrant workers – many in the NHS – shows 60 % fear family breakup under plans to make most migrants wait 10 years (and some 15 years) for settlement. Critics say the policy could drive 50,000 nurses out of the UK and add almost £20,000 in extra visa costs per adult, hurting employers and public-services alike.
UK widens BN(O) visa scheme, allowing adult children of status-holders to apply independently
The UK Home Office has widened the BN(O) visa so that adult children of status-holders – provided they were under 18 at the 1997 hand-over – can apply on their own, along with partners and children. About 26,000 extra Hongkongers are expected to benefit, easing family-separation issues and enlarging the UK-bound talent pool. Employers should revise mobility policies immediately, as beneficiaries will still need to pay visa fees and secure the UK’s new Electronic Travel Authorisation.
India expands e-Tourist Visa scheme to 166 countries, easing short-term business and leisure travel
India has added nine more countries to its electronic Tourist Visa roster, bringing coverage to 166 nationalities. The upgrade supports the government’s 15-million-visitor target for 2026 and provides corporates with a faster, fully digital pathway for 90-day business visits. Companies should refresh compliance guidance as e-visa applications are now screened against enhanced AI-based fraud and security databases.
FAA abruptly closes—then re-opens—El Paso airspace amid disputed cartel-drone ‘laser test’
The FAA issued, then lifted, a 10-day airspace ban over El Paso after an uncoordinated Pentagon laser test aimed at cartel drones. The overnight shutdown delayed more than 40 flights and exposed weak communication between the FAA, Defense Department and local stakeholders. Border-region companies should expect similar disruptions as counter-drone tests expand.
Bern Keeps 2026 Work-Permit Quotas Unchanged, Signalling ‘Selective-Talent’ Approach
The Federal Council’s 11 February decision leaves 2026 immigration quotas untouched (8,500 permits for non-EU talent plus special tranches for EU contractors and UK nationals). While the move gives HR teams twelve months of certainty, it also keeps competition for Swiss work permits fierce and forces firms to prioritise only the most business-critical hires.
Greve de 24 h na Lufthansa ameaça conexões Brasil-Alemanha nesta quarta-feira
Sindicatos de pilotos e comissários da Lufthansa paralisaram voos por 24 h a partir das 20h desta quarta-feira. As rotas Frankfurt/Munique–São Paulo e Frankfurt–Rio podem sofrer cancelamentos ou atrasos, afetando passageiros brasileiros e cadeias de suprimento. Empresas devem acionar planos de contingência e monitorar conexões alternativas.
Four-hour passport queues loom for British travellers as EU biometric system falters
Airports, airlines and the Independent warn that the EU’s digital Entry/Exit System is causing two-hour waits and could stretch to four hours at peak. Trade bodies want the Commission to let member states pause EES during July–August or risk major disruption for millions of UK passengers.
Airlines warn Prague travellers of four-hour queues as EU Entry/Exit System strains border control
• 11 February industry warning says first-time biometric enrolment under the EU’s new Entry/Exit System is already causing two- to three-hour lines in Prague and could stretch to four hours this summer. • Airlines and airports want the European Commission to let countries pause or phase the rollout; Prague Airport is racing to add more self-service kiosks and staff. • Business travellers to Czechia should build extra time into itineraries and keep the same passport to avoid repeat enrolment.
Malaga commuter rail strike enters third day, paralysing Costa del Sol travel
Minority rail unions kept up a third day of strikes on Málaga’s Cercanías network on 11 February, slashing services on the crucial C-1 and C-2 coastal lines. The walk-out, sparked by safety concerns after two deadly accidents, is disrupting employee commutes and airport transfers at the height of the tourist-booking season. Companies are incurring extra transport costs and productivity losses while regional authorities scramble to broker a broader safety plan.
UAE cuts work-permit processing time by 95 % under AI-driven “Zero Bureaucracy” programme
MoHRE has slashed work-permit processing times from 10 minutes to under a minute and removed most paperwork by deploying AI tools in phase 2 of the Zero Government Bureaucracy programme. The change gives employers instantaneous quota approvals and smoother onboarding, reinforcing the UAE’s pitch to multinationals and skilled expatriates.