What's the problem?
Until recently, migrants from outside the EU had physical documents to prove that they and their families could live, work or study in the UK. These could be physical cards or stamps or stickers in their passports.
The Home Office wants to replace these physical documents with e-Visas by the end of December 2024. This will affect up to four million people in the UK.
This scheme could lead to a digital Windrush scandal, where people who have the right to be in the UK can no longer prove their status because of failings in the Home Office’s systems. Like the Windrush scandal, it could result in people losing their jobs, losing their homes and being denied entry to the UK.
The key issues with the transition to e-visas
The rollout of the scheme has been deeply flawed, and time is running out for the millions of people who need to register for an e-visa, putting them at risk if not being able to prove their right to be in the UK.
Initially, the Home Office said affected people would receive an email to sign up for an account but by the summer of 2024, many people still hadn't received anything. Some emails were sent to the wrong people, including legal advisors who had helped migrants and people who are British citizens. On 6 August, the government updated its website to say people could sign up for an UKVI account without an email invite - but many people are still unaware that they need to do this.
There are accessibility issues when it comes to signing up for an account. Many people don't have the version of smartphone they need to create an account. Some people lack digital literacy or don't have English as a first language.
There seems to be little support in place for those with specific vulnerabilities, such as people experiencing homelessness, older people, those living in care, and those with complex mental health needs.
Once in place, e-Visa scheme would make millions of people vulnerable to technical glitches, data losses and Internet outages. The EU Settlement Scheme, Horizon Post Office scandal and recent global Microsoft outage show that tech systems can and do fail. If this happens, there could be serious life-changing consequences for people not being able to work, rent a home, study, get a loan or claim benefits.
People with an e-Visa will need to access the Home Office website while in an airport and generate a code to prove that they have the right of travel. This means that the international carriers will be dependent on a computer system called interactive Advance Passenger Information (iAPI) to look up an individual’s eVisa and return an ‘OK to Board’ message.
Not all carriers have yet integrated with iAPI, and the system has not been extensively and widely tested - carriers are unwilling to use it currently to allow people to board who for various reasons are not in possession of a current physical document but who do have an eVisa.
What do we want?
We want the government to:
- Stop the e-visa scheme.
- Allow people to have physical documents as well as digital proof of their right to be in the UK.
- Talk to affected migrants and migrant groups to create a digital solution that works.
- Ensure that any future system works offline to ensure people can always prove their rights.
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