Pentagon orders withdrawal of 5,000 US troops from Germany within a year
EasyJet adds Geneva and Prague to Hamburg network, boosting business links
Wizz Air to link Dortmund with Palermo three times a week from September
Latest News
Federal Police deploy 120 officers to keep Hamburg rail hubs moving on May Day
A post-event bulletin confirms the Federal Police deployed 120 officers at Hamburg’s key stations on 1 May to prevent protest-related disruption, with rail services running largely to schedule. The successful crowd-management exercise reassures employers relying on rail for domestic business travel and shows how Bundespolizei resources may shift as internal border checks evolve.
Lufthansa pilots call 48-hour strike for 4–5 May, threatening widespread flight cancellations
Vereinigung Cockpit has announced a 48-hour strike across the Lufthansa Group for 4–5 May, citing stalled wage talks. Thousands of flights in and out of Germany’s hubs are expected to be grounded, with knock-on effects for business travellers, air-cargo supply chains and EU261 compensation liabilities. Companies should activate rerouting and remote-meeting plans as further walk-outs remain possible.
Germany’s new Asylum Act aligns with EU rules, speeds border decisions from June
Germany will implement a re-engineered Asylum Act on 12 June 2026, introducing EU-wide screening, fast-track border procedures, earlier work access and conditional benefit cuts. The reforms aim to harmonise processing and curb secondary movements, but may alter compliance obligations for employers engaging asylum-seekers.
ICT Card 2026: tougher salary parity tests and centralised ‘Work & Stay Agency’ reshape intra-company transfers
Germany’s 2026 rules make ICT Card approvals harder by imposing stringent, proof-heavy salary parity and funnelling all cases through the new Work & Stay Agency. Processing may speed up, but only employers with meticulous pay data will avoid delays, pushing some to choose the EU Blue Card instead.
May update: Deutsche Bahn freezes long-distance fares and other rule changes expats need to know
From 1 May, Deutsche Bahn will hold long-distance fares flat for a year, while a short-term fuel-tax cut, a pending €1,000 tax-free bonus, and a new online EV-subsidy portal also take effect. The measures lower transport costs for expatriates and employers but require updated travel and car-policy planning.
Government data: deportations fall 22 % in Q1 2026, opposition renews call for moratorium
Germany deported 4,807 people in Q1 2026—1,344 fewer than a year earlier—marking the first quarterly decline in five years. While the interior ministry calls the fall ‘operational fluctuation’, opposition parties demand a broader deportation freeze, keeping migration policy firmly in the public spotlight.
Berlin hails 13,500 Moroccan recruits as model for new skilled-migration pacts
Foreign Minister Wadephul told reporters in Rabat that 13,500 Moroccan nationals received German work or training visas in the past two years, calling the flow “indispensable” for Germany’s labour market. Berlin aims to deepen the partnership and use it as a template for further talent agreements.