Ministers postpone shift to eVisas amidst systemic failure — the3million calls for a public inquiry.

M inisters will postpone a full transition to eVisas, a move welcomed by community groups and seen as an acknowledgement of the digital-only system’s flawed implementation. The decision comes amidst growing concerns about the system’s ability to safeguard migrants’ rights, prevent travel chaos and avoid leaving UK residents stranded abroad.

the3million, the largest grassroots group representing EU citizens in the UK, are calling for an urgent public inquiry.

The current Labour government inherited the eVisa system, which was first implemented under the EU Settlement Scheme to give a digital immigration status to EU citizens and family members who were residents in the UK before Brexit. 

the3million has repeatedly warned the Home Office of the impact it has on vulnerable groups, as well as others who are affected by technical failures.

Systemic failures and unresolved issues

The digital-only system has left many residents facing a bureaucratic nightmare. Tens of thousands of people have had their online status mixed up with that of someone else, rendering it useless to prove their rights.

In some cases, people with indefinite leave to remain discovered their eVisa inaccurately showed that they had an expired status.

“While the Home Office insisted that digital status ‘cannot be lost, stolen, or tampered with,’ the reality has proven otherwise. Lives have been disrupted, and trust in the system eroded,” said Monique Hawkins, Policy and Research Officer at the3million.

Warnings about the impending 31 December 2024 cliff-edge deadline have been issued for more than two years. the3million highlighted the risks posed by the failure to learn from past mistakes and the lack of viable alternatives, urging the Home Office to reconsider its course.

Key concerns moving forward

While the postponement is welcome, urgent questions remain:

• Biometric Residence Cards and Permits: Will the Home Office restart re-issuing biometric residence cards?
• Carriers’ Liability: How will airlines and other carriers be persuaded to accept expired cards, or let people board who have residence rights in the UK but no document to prove it?
• Liability charges: Will carriers’ liability rules be changed so that carriers aren’t fined or held responsible for the cost of returning passengers who aren’t admitted at the UK border?
• Travel authorisations: Will the government delay the further roll-out of the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme, which interacts with eVisas?

Call for a Public Inquiry

Given the high risk of continued travel disruptions, the3million is calling for a comprehensive public inquiry to investigate the impact of eVisas and the risks of expanding the current digital-only system.

“There’s an incredibly high risk of travel chaos ahead, and it’s too late to kick the can down the road. After six years of giving evidence to parliamentary committees, two judicial reviews and seven attempts to secure amendments to bills, it’s clear the current system does not work. A public inquiry is essential to address the ongoing and future risks posed by the current implementation of eVisas,” said Monique Hawkins.

In a meeting last week with Immigration Minister Seema Malhotra, the3million reiterated policy proposals to mitigate the impact of the flawed system. With millions potentially at risk of travel chaos and loss of rights, immediate action is needed to fix the digital status.

Sources:

▪ This piece was first published in the3million and re-published in PUBLIC SQUARE UK on 13 December 2024 under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International licence. | The author writes in a personal capacity.

▪ Cover: Adobe Stock/1000words.