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Yesterday, Monday January 26, 2026
Austria reports 36 % drop in asylum applications and record 14,156 deportations in 2025
Austria’s Interior Ministry says total asylum applications fell 36 % to 16,284 in 2025, while deportations hit a record 14,156. Officials attribute the shift to intensive border policing and plan to pilot ‘return centres’ for faster off-shore processing under the new EU Migration Pact. The data point to tougher spot checks that could affect business travellers and reinforce calls—both for and against—easing skills-based immigration routes.
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Jan 26, 2026
HZMB fast-track to open for foreign passport holders from January 26
From 26 January 2026 the co-operative inspection fast-track at the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge will accept most foreign passport holders who hold Chinese residence permits, foreign permanent-resident IDs or qualifying Macau IDs. Pre-registered travellers will be able to clear both the Zhuhai and Macau checkpoints in one biometric swipe, easing congestion ahead of the holiday rush. The change accelerates cross-border commutes within the Greater Bay Area and exemplifies China’s push for ‘smart’ border control.
Jan 26, 2026
Italian Portale Visti to Shut Down Worldwide 12–18 February for Major Cloud Migration
Italy’s foreign ministry will suspend all worldwide visa processing from 12–18 February to migrate the Portale Visti platform to the cloud. The six-day outage will halt appointments, adjudications and visa printing, impacting corporate transfers and business travel scheduled for late February. The revamp paves the way for full integration with the EU’s upcoming biometric Entry/Exit System and ETIAS travel authorisation.
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