In the face of the failing rollout of the UK government's eVisa scheme, I've written to my MP, again, at the suggestion of the Open Rights Group.
"Of the many failures of the Labour government since coming into power last year, their adoption of Conservative/Reform right-wing rhetoric and policies on immigration has been one of the most egregious.
Please can you take action to help people who are facing serious harms because of the Home Office’s flawed eVisa scheme.
The eVisa scheme was supposed to replace physical documents with online proof of immigration status. But the roll-out of the scheme has been chaotic. Technical and administrative problems mean that many people cannot create or access their eVisa at the crucial times that they need it. Many people are currently having to rely on expired documents to prove their right to be in the UK.
Since the scheme was supposed to come into effect on January 1, 2025 people who have the right to be in the UK have been prevented from boarding planes and had their travel plans disrupted. Refugees have been unable to rent homes or get jobs. At least one person has been made homeless because of an error in their eVisa. There are undoubtedly thousands more people facing such harms – including many of your constituents.
The immediate solution:
The Home Office recently updated its guidelines to allow migrants with legacy paper documents to continue using them. This could be extended to all migrants that have the right to remain in the UK. Having a physical document as a back up will mean that people can prove their immigration status even if they are unable to show their eVisa because of technical glitches or Internet outages. It will also help people who do not have a smartphone or who are not digitally literate.
Please will you contact the Minister for Migration and Citizenship, Seema Malhotra and urge her to take this simple step to allow people to have an optional physical document to prove their right to be in the UK"
