UK issues new advisory as Swiss-French border crossings set for temporary closures
Violent thunderstorms trigger nationwide travel disruption in Switzerland
Swiss Customs Block Van Carrying 40 Unregistered Bee Colonies at German Border
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Switzerland sees 16 % fall in asylum applications in first half of 2026
New SEM data show Switzerland registered 9 734 asylum claims in the first six months of 2026, 16 % fewer than a year earlier. June applications fell to 1 777, with Afghanistan, Eritrea and Algeria topping the list of origin countries. Officials link the drop to fewer Mediterranean arrivals and a decline in Turkish claims. The slowdown eases pressure on federal reception centres and supports the government’s tighter processing and return policies, but integration challenges remain.
FOCA blocks plan to turn former military airfield Kägiswil into civilian training hub
FOCA has refused to authorise the conversion of Kägiswil, a former military airfield in Obwalden, into a civilian aerodrome. The operator failed to secure necessary land-owner consents and attempted to modify its proposal mid-process, leading regulators to terminate the approval procedure. The site must be returned to the defence ministry by January 2027, forcing flight-training firms to look elsewhere and highlighting Switzerland’s stringent airfield-zoning rules.