UAE and Eswatini strike mutual visa-waiver deal
Nationwide 24-hour transport strike cripples travel across Italy on 29 May
Tyrol prepares for Brenner Pass shutdown as residents stage anti-transit protest
Latest News
Three-day general strike paralyses Belgian transport, triggering travel contingency plans
A 72-hour general strike that started at midnight on 29 May has brought much of Belgium’s transport network to a standstill. Flight cancellations, reduced rail timetables and port slow-downs are forcing businesses to activate contingency plans. The unions’ protest against pension and budget reforms is the most disruptive since 2024 and could herald further action if parliament approves the measures.
IRCC invites 4,500 Francophone candidates in record-size Express Entry draw
IRCC’s 28 May draw invited 4,500 French-speaking Express Entry candidates at a CRS cut-off of 409, the biggest Francophone round of 2026. The move underscores Ottawa’s push to raise Francophone immigration outside Quebec and offers employers a larger pool of bilingual talent. Invitees have 60 days to submit complete permanent-residence applications.
China Activates 30-Day Visa-Free Entry for Russian Nationals
China has formally activated a one-year, 30-day visa-free regime for Russian citizens, removing the need for standard L or M visas for short stays until 14 September 2026. The waiver promises to boost two-way tourism and speed up technical visits for energy and infrastructure projects, but travellers must still observe China’s digital arrival-card and accommodation-registration rules. Companies with longer assignments should continue to secure work visas.
Frankfurt Airport Temporarily Suspends New Sky Line People-Mover
Less than two months after launch, Frankfurt Airport has pulled its new Sky Line people-mover from service for technical inspections. Replacement buses now connect Terminals 1, 2 and 3, adding at least 20 minutes to transfers – a headache for corporate itineraries at Europe’s third-busiest hub. Travel managers should update connection buffers and brief travellers until the system returns, likely in mid-June.
Ireland ends appeals process for most short-stay visa refusals
From 1 June 2026 Ireland will abolish the right to appeal most refusals of short-stay (Type C) visas, leaving re-application as the only remedy. Government expects the change to speed processing by redirecting staff to more complex long-stay cases, but businesses should ensure first-time applications are complete, as decisions will now be effectively final.
Delhi Thunderstorms Trigger Travel Advisories from Airport and Airlines
A fast-moving thunderstorm over Delhi on 29 May forced IGI Airport and major carriers to issue real-time travel warnings. While operations continued, passengers were told to expect cascading delays and to track flight status closely. The episode underscores the need for contingency buffers in corporate travel to and through India’s busiest hub.
Italy publishes Legislative Decree 83/2026, overhauling Single Work-Residence Permit rules
Legislative Decree 83/2026, published with implementing guidance on 29 May, cuts processing times for Italy’s combined work-and-residence authorisation from 90 to 60 days, expands eligibility to posted workers and digital nomads, and introduces automatic escalation when deadlines are missed. Family reunification is streamlined and permit holders gain 90-day short-stay mobility across Schengen. Multinationals should move quickly to exploit the digital application portal that becomes mandatory on 1 July.
Spain’s Supreme Court Rejects Bid to Suspend Mass Regularisation of Undocumented Migrants
The Supreme Court has refused to block the government’s extraordinary regularisation scheme, allowing some 500,000 undocumented migrants to keep applying for one-year residence and work permits until 30 June 2026. The ruling eliminates legal uncertainty for employers and migrants alike and underscores Spain’s rights-based immigration model.
Switzerland moves to ease work-permit rules for refugees and Swiss-trained foreigners
The Federal Council has sent a bill to parliament that would (1) let Protection Status S refugees register with job centres and change cantons more freely and (2) give non-EU/EFTA graduates of Swiss higher-vocational or post-doc programmes six months to look for work in Switzerland. Businesses stand to gain a bigger, more flexible talent pool without raising immigration quotas.
New Stamp 4 pathway offers long-term status to Temporary Protection holders
Ireland has created a Temporary Protection Transition Scheme that will grant eligible refugees a renewable two-year Stamp 4 permission, giving unrestricted work rights and counting toward citizenship. Applications are due to open in September 2026, offering employers and 70,000 current protection beneficiaries a clear bridge beyond the March 2027 expiry of EU Temporary Protection.
Finland’s 2025 Migration Report Shows Drop in Inflows but Work-Based Immigration Rebounds in Early 2026
A new Finnish Immigration Service report shows that overall immigration to Finland shrank in 2025 as the economy slowed and legislation tightened, but work-based permit demand has grown 11 % in the first four months of 2026. Record numbers were granted Finnish citizenship ahead of stricter rules that took effect in December 2025. The data signal both improved processing times for skilled-worker permits and a tougher road to permanent residence and citizenship, issues global-mobility teams should monitor.
Paris Locks Down Transport Network Ahead of 30 May Champions League Final
Paris will impose sweeping road closures, metro diversions and a 17-hour traffic ban in the west of the city on 30 May as PSG fans gather to watch the Champions League final. Some 8,000 extra police officers will be deployed and companies are advising travellers to avoid central districts or shift to remote work. The measures foreshadow mobility curbs planned for the 2026 Olympics and highlight the growing need for corporate travel-risk planning.
UK travel industry urges pause to EU biometric border checks as Dover queues mount
French border police were forced to suspend the EU’s new Entry/Exit System at Dover after bank-holiday queues stretched beyond two hours, prompting UK travel agents and airlines to call on Brussels to pause biometric checks for the summer. ACI Europe says queues at some European airports have already hit 3½ hours, and UK trade bodies warn the delays are denting consumer confidence and could disrupt business travel and freight flows.
Government expands Employment Permit occupation lists and signals 50:50 rule review
Effective immediately, 32 occupation changes make it easier for Irish employers to secure Employment Permits, with new Critical Skills roles and additional General Employment Permit eligibilities. Ministers also signalled plans to relax the 50:50 nationality ratio for health and social-care employers, suggesting further reforms ahead of Ireland’s EU Council Presidency.