Travel News

In the latest in a series of anti-immigration policies, the Trump administration has announced a pilot measure to require some visa applicants to put down a $15,000 (€12,901) deposit.

The decision, published in the Federal Register on Tuesday, will be tested for a year starting 20 August and aims to ensure that visitors adhere to the legally prescribed length of stay.

According to the US State Department, the bond will only be refunded after the visa holder leaves the US and their visa expires.

Travellers head to the security checkpoint at Denver International Airport. David Zalubowski/ AP

The US State Department has said the pilot will so far include Zambia and Malawi. It has made it clear that the measure will apply to "nationals of countries with high overstay rates" or those that raise suspicions due to the lack of reliable monitoring systems.

By Olasunkanmi Akinlotan

Palpable tension is building up in Nigeria’s aviation sector as unions issued a notice of service withdrawal to the Federal Government, effective from Monday, August 11, 2025.

This was contained in a statement signed by the General Secretaries of the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, National Union of Air Transport Employees, Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals, and the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees.

The unions lamented the prolonged delay in implementing a new salary structure for workers under the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, despite the conclusion of salary adjustment negotiations with the agency’s management eight months ago.

The letter partly reads, “Recognising that notice of ultimatum has already been issued and served by our branches, which our national unions have adopted.

A seven-day notice of withdrawal of services from today, Thursday, the 31st day of July, 2025, is hereby issued.”

After the expiration of the ultimatum, the union insisted on a total withdrawal of services by 5:00 hours on Monday. The workers, through their strike notice, directed all NAMA staff to stop all services with effect from Monday, August 11, 2025, at 05 hours indefinitely.

“All Airlines and allied companies, as well as the flying public, are hereby informed of the above-stated action and advised to make alternative travel arrangements. All staff shall comply with this directive, and only joint communication from the National Secretariats of the above-named Unions shall be heeded with regard to further directives on this matter,” the letter stated.

The letter was sent to the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, and copied to the Managing Director/CEO of NAMA, FAAN, the Commissioner of Police, Airports Command, the Directors of State Security (All Airports), and Airline Operators of Nigeria.

The strike notice implies that all flight operations will be suspended, and the entire industry will be grounded, causing disruptions to travelers and the economy.

If you’re travelling to Portugal this summer, brace for potential disruption, as ongoing strikes at the country’s busiest airports are expected to last until the end of August.

The industrial action, which began on July 25, is taking place every weekend (from Friday to Monday) and has led to delays and cancellations across Portuguese airports, including Lisbon, Faro, and Porto Santo. 

The walkouts, led by SPdH/Menzies ground staff, are due to various issues, including low wages, unpaid night shifts and a lack of staff parking. 

It includes staff in baggage handling, aircraft servicing and at check-in desks. 

Up to 60 UK flights a week could be affected, disrupting travel plans for over 10,000 passengers. 

The UK Foreign Office (FCDO) updated its travel advice before the strikes. 

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It read: ‘Industrial action by baggage handlers at Portuguese airports from Friday to Monday during July and August may cause delays. 

‘If you are travelling over this period, check for announcements and follow the advice of your airline or tour operator.’

The popular holiday islands of Madeira and the Azores will also be affected, as well as mainland airports. 

Lisbon Airport is among those affected (Picture: Getty Images)

BY Donna Ferguson

Most foreign criminals convicted by a UK court will be deported immediately, instead of 30% of the way through their prison sentences, under plans announced by the government.

The justice secretary, Shabana Mahmood, has proposed a change in legislation that will give the government the power to deport most foreign prisoners as soon as they are convicted and incarcerated.

However, foreign terrorists, murderers and other serious offenders who have been given indeterminate sentences will continue to serve their time in the UK before being considered for deportation.

Prison governors will also retain the power to decide against deporting a foreign criminal who has been given a fixed-term sentence – known as a determinate sentence – if, for example, they consider the offender poses such a serious threat to the UK’s interests or national security that they should remain behind bars in a British prison.

Offenders who are deported will be barred from re-entering the UK and the measures will apply to all foreign national offenders already in custody, as well as those newly sentenced, to reduce taxpayer expenditure on foreign prisoners.

Each prison place costs the government £54,000 a year on average and foreign offenders make up about 12% of the total prison population, according to the Ministry of Justice.

The government has already passed legislation that will come into force in September, allowing prison governors to deport foreign criminals who have served 30% of their prison time, as opposed to the current 50%.

Under the latest proposed powers, which must be voted on by parliament before they come into law, the amount of time most foreign prisoners must serve in UK prisons before deportation would be reduced to 0%.

Mahmood said the government was taking “radical action” and the legislation would ensure deportations happen “earlier than ever before”.

“Our message is clear: if you abuse our hospitality and break our laws, we will send you packing,” she said.

The Prison Service is at nearly 97.5% capacity and came within days of collapse on three occasions in the last few months of Rishi Sunak’s government, an independent review by a former prisons watchdog found on Tuesday.

After taking power in July 2024, Keir Starmer responded to the crisis by allowing some offenders to leave prison after serving 40% of their sentence, arguing that an early release scheme was necessary to “avert disaster” and reduce overcrowding.

The government has since deported more than 5,000 foreign prisoners, an annual increase of 14%, and invested £5m on a special taskforce to speed up removals of these offenders from almost 80 jails.

Despite this, “record numbers of violent and sexual offenders from abroad” are serving time in UK prisons, the shadow justice secretary, Robert Jenrick, said.

He blamed Starmer for refusing to change “broken human rights laws” which he claimed were preventing the government from deporting foreign criminals. “It’s a farce,” he said. “He needs to grow a backbone … so we can actually deport these individuals.”

Jenrick added: “If countries won’t take back their nationals, Starmer should suspend visas and foreign aid. His soft-touch approach isn’t working.”

By Abdullateef Aliyu, Lagos  

Foremost economist and Chief Executive Officer of Financial Derivatives Company, Mr. Bismarck Rewane has painted a gloomy picture of the aviation industry, disclosing that due to poor infrastructure, Nigeria’s aviation sector lost $3.5 billion in revenue between 2020 and 2022.

He expressed concern over the performance of the air transport sector which he noted contracted by 0.81% in Q1 ‘25, the 6th consecutive quarterly decline.

He spoke in Lagos while delivering a keynote speech at the 29th annual conference of the League of Airports and Aviation Correspondents (LAAC) with the theme, “Financing Aviation in Nigeria: Risks, Opportunities and Prospects.”

The economist who described aviation as a very difficult industry noted that Nigeria has 32 airports but only about 20 were considered viable in 2024 while 92-96% of traffic flows through just 4.

He lamented how Nigeria spends billions of dollars in airport operations without commensurate increase in passenger traffic.

Backing his assertion with data, he disclosed that the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos which is the busiest airport in Nigeria  processes 6.5 million passengers annually and spends 1.75bn dollars to run the airport.

This, he considered, was outrageous compared to other airports across the globe with much higher traffic but with less spending.

He said Los Angeles Intl (USA) processes 76.5 million passengers and spends 3.5 billion dollars; Heathrow (UK) processes 83.9 million passengers and spends 15.6 billion dollars; Chicago O’Hare Intl (USA) processes 58 million passengers and spends N4.5 billion dollars; Dubai Intl (UAE) processes 92 million passengers and spends 4.0 billion dollars.

Amidst plans to spend N712bn on renovation of MMIA old terminal, the economist made a case for the privatisation of the terminal while the renovation should be handled by the concessionaire.

He stated that the terminal would yield greater returns in the hands of private hands and warned of making the same mistake Nigeria made in the oil and gas sector by spending billions of dollars in refineries that are not working.

He said, “Nigeria has 23 active domestic airlines, however 5 airlines control 75% of traffic. The industry is fragmented. Domestic passenger traffic declined for the 2nd straight year to 11.5mn in 2024.”

Rewane however called for consolidation by airlines, adding, “We need very strong and effective regulation for safety; concessions and PPPs should be prioritized for airport upgrades to aid national fiscal sustainability and avoid inefficient operations. There should be investment in local maintenance, repair & overhaul hubs.

“Government should focus on policy and regulation, not running airlines or building airports directly and policy consistency is crucial for rebuilding trust with global investors and attract global aviation capital,” he recommended.

Mary Olowo-Sokeye, chief financial officer-InterGuide group who represented Dr. Gabriel Olowo, former President of Aviation Roundtable (ART) stated that Aircraft financing in Nigeria is structured to meet different operational and financial needs while ensuring compliance with the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations 2023 (NCAR 2023). 

She said, “With Nigerian airlines averaging 48 percent success rate compared to 81 percent global standards while there are growth in aircraft numbers and passenger numbers, challenges persist in meeting global standards.”

President Donald Trump has demanded that the homeless “immediately” move out of Washington, D.C. to make the nation’s capital “more beautiful.”

Trump reiterated his Saturday announcement that he’s set to hold a press conference at the White House on Monday, adding on Truth Social on Sunday that “I’m going to make our Capital safer and more beautiful than it ever was before.”

“The Homeless have to move out, IMMEDIATELY,” he continued. “We will give you places to stay, but FAR from the Capital. The Criminals, you don’t have to move out. We’re going to put you in jail where you belong.”

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The president went on to say that “It’s all going to happen very fast, just like the Border. We went from millions pouring in, to ZERO in the last few months. This will be easier — Be prepared! There will be no ‘MR. NICE GUY.’ We want our Capital BACK.”

Trump’s promise to jail criminals in Washington comes as the city’s mayor, Muriel Bowser, has noted that there’s no recent increase in crime. Trump didn’t outline what legal authority he would use to evict people from the capital — the president only controls federal lands and buildings in the District of Columbia.

Trump also took to Truth Social on Saturday to say that he was hosting a press conference that would put a stop to violent crime in Washington. The president’s Sunday post included images of tents and garbage on the streets of the capital.

The Community Partnership is an organization working to reduce homelessness in Washington, a city of 700,000 people. According to the group, on any given night, there are roughly 3,782 people experiencing homelessness. However, most of them are in emergency shelters or transitional housing, while about 800 are unsheltered or “on the street,” according to the group.

On Friday, a White House official said that extra federal law enforcement officers were being deployed in Washington after a group of teenagers reportedly attacked a young Trump administration staffer during an attempted carjacking, angering Trump.

Story by Liz Rowlinson

The urge to escape the UK remains strong among many families, who are fleeing from punitive tax changes, high inflation and increases in school fees.

Better employment opportunities, quality of life, EU access and tax perks are among the pull factors to Europe – or beyond.

Golden visa programmes, which came about after the 2008 financial crisis, offer residency in exchange for investment. They provide a permit that can begin the pathway to citizenship after five to 10 years if required, and if certain conditions are met. And for many of them, tax residency is optional.

They can be distinguished from so-called ‘golden passports’ that sell citizenship from the outset, notably offered by Malta and Grenada.

Both golden visas and passports are opposed by the European Union, and some national governments have ended or limited their schemes, particularly those that incentivise real estate investment which they have caused property prices to soar.

But of those that remain, which are best? It depends whether you want to claw back your EU status, relocate or save tax. The European golden visas offering Schengen access have an edge over those that don’t – but note that these visas do not necessarily give the right for holders to live (or work) in other countries across the EU, only the country issuing the visa.

Other considerations include level of investment required, convenience of location, pathway to citizenship and the number of days required to stay there per year.

But not all golden visas are equal. Here, with input from immigration advisers, we examine the schemes which are among the five most favoured and useful schemes for British people.

Best for a quicker path to citizenship
... access to flat-tax regimes
... zero income tax
... EU access at a lower price
... retirees looking for a low-tax haven
Best for... a quicker path to citizenship
Portugal

Expats flock to Portugal for the lifestyle and English-speaking community - Moment RF

Portugal’s golden visa remains a favourite. Last year, Portugal approved a record-breaking 4,987 golden visa applications from people of all nationalities, 72pc more than the previous year, according to the immigration agency AIMA. Many attribute this increase to the end of the Spanish golden visa, which ceased in April this year.

But there are strong lifestyle drivers, too. Patricia Casaburi, of Global Citizen Solutions, says: “Portugal is the top choice for many wanting to relocate in Europe. Lifestyle, and the huge influx of foreigners over the last few years, have made it increasingly easy to find a community to connect with. English is widely spoken.”

The growth of international schools in Portugal is another pull, and you only have to spend seven days a year there to retain your visa. Often it is Schengen access that is the real clincher – the Greek golden visa also offers this, but a key difference is that in Portugal you are allowed to work locally on this visa, unlike golden visa holders in Greece.

Schengen access gives the right to visa-free travel within the Schengen area, but not the right to reside or work in those other countries. This is especially sought after by Chinese and Indian applicants who make up a large proportion of golden visa holders.

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Casaburi adds that there is a straight-forward process to secure citizenship in Portugal, after only five years, although there are possible changes to the timescale in September.

To qualify for the golden visa, you must either donate €250,000 (£217,000) to an accredited Portuguese foundation or invest €500,000 in private equity or capital funds, which is the more popular option.

After five years you can apply for permanent residency or citizenship – and there’s a tax-efficient way to get your money back, says Casaburi. “Portuguese non-residents are generally exempt from paying taxes on dividends and capital gains from the venture capital fund, so those who maintain their tax residency in their home country pay no Portuguese taxes on fund distributions or capital gains.”

If you opt to become a Portuguese tax resident, you’ll pay 10pc tax deducted at source on distributions from golden visa-eligible investment funds, which is significantly lower than Portugal’s standard capital gains tax rates.

Biggest negative? The backlog of applications means waiting times of 18 to 24 months for this visa. However, the Portuguese government has promised to reduce this in 2025.

Best for... access to flat-tax regimes
Greece

Greece has had a surge in golden visa applications ahead of rule changes - Igor Tichonow

Greece’s golden visa has been increasing in popularity: last year there were 9,100 applications, according to the Ministry of Migration and Asylum, which is double the amount in 2023. However, this can in part be explained by a rush to beat the changes to the scheme at the end of 2024.

The raising of the property price threshold from €250,000 to €800,000 on popular islands such as Crete and in Athens has now put it beyond the means of many British homebuyers. The UK does not feature in the top 10 nationalities applying for it, which is headed by China, Russia and Turkey.

Interest from the US has grown, says Eleni Acquarone, of Elxis – a Home in Greece. “In six months we’ve already reached the total number of American citizen applications we had for 2024.”

She is seeing a broader spread of locations now, shifting across the Greek mainland where the €400,000 threshold applies – to the Ionian Coast and the Peloponnese, especially around Kalamata.

The Greek golden visa offers Schengen access and has no stay requirement per year. There are options to get the visa by spending only €250,000 (on either an historic property to restore or the conversion of a commercial building into a residential one). But much of Greece is less easily accessed from the UK than Portugal and the path to citizenship is seven years, not five.

While it can be used in tandem with Greece’s two flat-tax regimes (€100,000 lump sum per year, or 7pc income tax for retirees), it offers no access to the labour market – you can work for a foreign company remotely in Greece but you cannot get a job in Greece. You are also not allowed to rent out the property for short-term lets.

Biggest negative? The new €800,000 threshold has priced out lower and mid-market buyers.

Best for... zero income tax
United Arab Emirates

A high cost of living hasn’t put off thousands of British families from a life in Dubai - iStockphoto

Despite increases in the cost of living, especially housing costs, the UAE remains the hotspot for British people relocating to the Middle East for tax perks and lifestyle benefits.

Those moving are attracted by the UAE’s political stability, economic growth, pro-business environment and regulatory certainty as key drivers. Of course, the zero personal income tax on salaries, investments or rental income earned within the country is another. There is no capital gains tax, inheritance tax, wealth tax or annual tax on worldwide assets.

Entry points are relatively low, compared to other countries: a 10-year golden visa requires at least AED 2m (£405,000) of investment into a business or property purchase, while the five-year ‘silver visa’ for those over 55 requires the purchase of a property of AED1m (£202,000) or to invest half that sum in a pension account.

Real estate purchases for golden visas are usually required to be unmortgaged, but the UAE scheme was altered this year to make eligible those with a 20pc deposit. Some off-plan properties are eligible, if 50pc of the cost is paid off. A separate work visa is not required.

Biggest negative? No Schengen access, though there is the right to live in seven emirates.

Best for... EU access at a lower price
Latvia

Latvia’s low entry point and Schengen access appeals to British buyers wanting EU status - Moment RF

Latvia’s low entry point of €60,000 (£52,000), and the fact it offers Schengen access, have made this Baltic state’s golden visa scheme very popular. You can move around the EU with this golden visa, though it doesn’t give you the right to live and work there.

Russians dominated applications until they were banned in 2022, but after a drop in popularity the scheme recorded notable growth during 2024, according to relocation adviser Savory & Partners, which reports a shift in demand to Chinese and Turkish buyers.

Of the options available, the €50,000 investment into a Latvian fund (plus €10,000 donation to the state) dominated demand, with the real estate investment option (more than €250,000) way behind, showing its appeal as a mobility tool rather than for relocation. It does, however, allow visa holders to work in Latvia.

“Schengen access is the real driver, but the annual in-person renewal requirement is a burden compared to other golden visa programmes,” says Artur Saraiva at Global Citizen Solutions. The permit is for five years, but requires the holder to confirm their status every year by travelling to Latvia to do this. There is also a long 10-year path to citizenship.

For those moving there, the tax regime in Latvia is attractive; the top rate of income tax is 31pc.

Biggest negative? Northern European climate and the lack of lifestyle appeal.

Best for... retirees looking for a low-tax haven
Cyprus

Retirees in Cyprus pay a low 5pc flat tax on pensions - Kirillm/iStockphoto

You need to invest a relatively low €300,000 to qualify for Cyprus’s Residence by Investment visa. This can be into new-build real estate, shares in a Cypriot company employing at least five people, or units in a Cypriot Collective Investment Organisation. But it also requires proof of financial resources: €50,000 per annum, plus €15,000 for a spouse.

The scheme is popular with wealthy non-EU citizens from Russia, Israel, Lebanon and increasingly Asia, who are drawn to Cyprus’s stability, English-speaking environment and favourable tax regime, according to Global Citizen Solutions.

For UK and US nationals, the distance to travel is less convenient than Portugal. Cyprus is not yet part of the Schengen area – it has applied to join – so this is a reason why it is less popular than other countries offering Schengen access.

But the tax benefits do attract British people: the non-dom tax regime offers no tax on passive income such as dividends and interest for 17 years, while for retirees there’s a 5pc flat tax on pensions.

Although it is in a strategic position between Europe, the Middle East and Africa, small-island life is too restrictive for some, and it doesn’t offer the right to work.

Biggest negative? Lack of Schengen access

A trade union has announced a strike at Gatwick airport from next week which it claims will put all departing flights at risk of disruption.

Unite said baggage screeners employed by ICTS will walk out in a dispute over pay from August 22-26 – which includes a bank holiday weekend – and August 29 to September 2.

The union said the workers are among the lowest paid at the West Sussex airport, earning “just above the minimum wage”.

Meanwhile, ICTS made a profit before tax of £6.1 million in 2024, a 46.9% increase compared to the previous year, according to the union.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “ICTS has more than enough money to offer these workers a fair pay rise.

“Not doing so is just corporate greed.

“ICTS’ Gatwick workers will receive Unite’s complete backing for as long as it takes during their strikes for fair pay.”

Unite said “all flights out of Gatwick will face disruption”, and industrial action “will intensify if the dispute is not resolved”.

A Gatwick spokesperson said: ”We are working with our suppliers to avoid any impacts and we expect to operate a normal summer holiday flight schedule for our airlines and passengers on these dates.

“Of course, we hope ICTS and their union can reach a resolution before then.”

The union representing Air Canada’s flight attendants gave the company a 72-hour strike notice after the two sides could not agree to terms on a new collective bargaining agreement.

Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) confirmed to CTVNews.ca it served its first strike notice to both Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge early Wednesday morning, meaning flight attendants can walk off the job Saturday morning at 12:58 a.m. ET.

According to CUPE, Air Canada issued a lockout notice to the union at 1:30 a.m. ET.

Air Canada said on Tuesday afternoon it reached an “impasse” in negotiations with the union, which on Tuesday said it declined a proposal from the airline to enter a binding arbitration process.

The airline said in the event of a stoppage, it would notify customers whose flights are potentially cancelled and they will be eligible for a full refund, which could be obtained through its website or the Air Canada mobile app.

Earlier Tuesday, CUPE said in an update to members that the company has “decided they no longer want to negotiate.” The union attached a letter that it received from Air Canada, dated Monday, in which the airline proposed going the arbitration route to secure a new contract.

That would have suspended the union’s right to strike, as well as Air Canada’s right to lock out union members, the letter noted.

Last week, the flight attendants voted 99.7 per cent in favour of giving their union a strike mandate, which is effective for 60 days.

With files from The Canadian Press

• EU citizens awaiting pre-Brexit residency decisions have been wrongly denied re-entry to the UK after short trips overseas for holidays or business.
• The Independent Monitoring Authority for Citizens’ Rights Agreements (IMA) has expressed serious concerns to the Home Office, stating these individuals should not be removed.
• The IMA asserts that a valid 'certificate of application' (CoA) should grant citizens the right to exit and re-enter the UK while their residency application is pending.
• The IMA has urged the Home Office to clarify the rules surrounding CoAs before the implementation of new electronic travel authorisations (ETAs).
• The Home Office maintains that CoA holders are aware they may be asked for further evidence, though campaign group the3million believes a CoA should be sufficient proof of rights.