Schengen Entry/Exit System Chaos Causes Multi-Hour Queues at German Airports
Lufthansa Strike Leaves West-African Travellers Stranded at Frankfurt and Munich
Late-Season Snow Shuts Down 568 Flights at Munich, Ripples Across Europe
Latest News
Germany feels first full-day impact of EU Entry/Exit System as airports report longer queues
Germany’s airports faced their first major test of the EU’s new biometric Entry/Exit System over the weekend, with non-EU passengers reporting an extra 15-40 minutes at immigration. The digital platform, mandatory since 10 April 2026, replaces passport stamps with facial and fingerprint scans and automatically tracks 90-day stay limits. Companies are being urged to pad schedules and brief staff as congestion is likely to worsen during the summer peak.
Official data show almost 50,000 new arrivals in Germany in Q1 2026 despite promised ‘migration turnaround’
Newly published Q1 2026 figures show Germany issued about 27,000 family-reunion visas and received 22,491 first-time asylum claims—nearly 50,000 humanitarian or family arrivals in total. The data suggest the government’s promised “migration turnaround” has yet to materialise and highlight fast-rising Afghan asylum numbers following an ECJ ruling. Employers relying on foreign talent should track impending reforms to ensure workforce plans remain realistic.