UK plans mass evacuation as Middle-East air-space closures leave 76,000 Britons stranded
Foreign Office activates crisis-registration portal for Britons in Gulf states
UK Civil Aviation Authority clarifies passenger rights as flight cancellations mount
Latest News
Heathrow cancels nearly half of Middle-East departures amid Gulf air-space shutdown
Heathrow scrapped 24 Middle-East flights on 1 March after Gulf airports closed, squeezing capacity and driving up fares. The cancellations disrupt both passenger itineraries and cargo flows, underlining the need for agile travel-risk and supply-chain planning.
UK–India connectivity hit as Air India grounds London routes in Middle-East crisis
Air India scrapped multiple London flights on 1 March after Gulf corridors closed, disrupting UK–India business links and forcing travellers onto longer, costlier routings. Employers must monitor visa-compliance risks for staff stranded in Britain.
UK Completes Shift to eVisas, Scrapping Passport Stickers for All New Visa Grants
From 25 February 2026 all UK visa approvals are issued only as electronic visas (eVisas); physical passport stickers have been abolished. The change accelerates the Home Office’s digital-border strategy, shortens passport-handling time and forces employers, airlines and travellers to rely on online status checks instead of paper documents.
VFS Global Joins UKVI to Roll Out eVisa Platform Worldwide
VFS Global, the Home Office’s largest commercial partner, is now supporting full global deployment of the UK eVisa system. Applicants keep their passports, receive digital decisions and can manage UK status entirely online—changes expected to streamline corporate mobility logistics.
Home Secretary Signals ‘Danish-Style’ Immigration Overhaul—Permanent Residence Could Take 20 Years
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has floated Danish-style reforms that would lengthen the route to UK permanent residence to up to 20 years and narrow appeal rights. The plan could make it harder for employers to retain overseas staff and may feed wage inflation if migrant inflows slow.