UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – The UK’s move for eVisas for non-EU migrants faces backlash, campaigners warn that the UK’s digital visa plan for non-EU migrants could create hurdles.
The British government is moving forward with an eVisa system for non-EU residents, despite missing necessary checks.
In response to a freedom of information appeal, the Home Office stated that it has yet to finish an equality impact review for the eVisa transition, which began last April.
As reported by The Guardian, the digital visa system was initiated by the previous government. eVisas are now replacing BRPs as the main evidence of residency for non-EU migrants, who are not UK citizens or do not have passports.
Critics have raised concerns that the plan for a digital visa system could create difficulties for elderly residents and those with limited tech skills or without reliable internet.
Despite fears of potential hacking, the Home Office has not yet published a data protection impact assessment (DPIA) for the digital visa system.
However, the department confirmed it is currently “reviewing” two earlier impact assessments related to eVisas for EU nationals and non-EU residents, with a revised report to be released in the future.
According to a report from the Open Rights Group released in September, the eVisa rollout could leave its target group vulnerable to cyber threats.
The report stated due to language barriers and low digital skills, people are more likely to be unaware of phishing and malware attacks, and immigration risks.
The migrant digital justice programme manager at the Open Rights, Sara Alsherif said, “Given the delays to the scheme caused by faulty systems and bad implementation, publishing the DPIA is essential for parliament and the public to understand what’s gone wrong and help the government solve the problems.”
She argued that it’s unacceptable for the Home Office to depend on past assessments from the EU Settlement Scheme, highlighting that the digital visa system will affect around 4 million people, including 200,000 older people with legacy documents who may not have interacted with the Home Office for years.
The Labour government has postponed the eVisa transition deadline until coming March because of slow adoption and technical problems. Around 25% of the four million individuals have yet required to switch.
After the deadline, BRPs will be no longer valid for confirming immigration status, which could prevent individuals from re-entering the UK without an eVisa. Passport ink stamps and visa vignettes will continue to be recognized. While the shift to eVisas alters proof of rights, it doesn’t change a person’s immigration status.
Josephine Whitaker-Yilmaz from migrant rights charity Praxis stated, “The fact that the Home Office has yet to publish a comprehensive policy impact assessment for the transition to eVisas, which it is legally obliged to do, suggests a total lack of regard for the people who are affected.”
A spokesperson from the Home Office said, “The eVisa rollout currently uses existing equality impact assessment documents, which remain valid and relevant.”
They continued, “We regularly review equality impact assessments to ensure the eVisa rollout remains fair, accessible, and doesn’t create barriers for users.”
As of June 2024, the UK saw significant migration, with 417,000 non-EU nationals arriving for work, 375,000 for education, and 84,000 claimed asylum. Family reunification and humanitarian reasons brought another 76,000 and 67,000.