A woman legally settled in the UK was left stranded at a Spanish airport after the Home Office's post-Brexit eVisa system reportedly confused her with her identical twin sister. Nidia Webb, who has resided in the UK for eight years, was informed at the departure gate that she could not board her flight home.
Ms Webb stated that her digital settled status had become linked to her twin sister's details, preventing her status from being properly matched to her identity. She was told this was a "known technical issue affecting some twins within the Home Office system."
Home Office staff reportedly promised Ms Webb over the phone that the problem would be fixed, though a confirmation email was sent to her sister. Ms Webb said she was unaware the issue had been corrected until she was allowed to board her flight home.
A Home Office spokesperson stated that over 10 million people have successfully used eVisas to prove their immigration status. They added that in the rare cases where errors are identified, the majority are resolved within 24 hours. The Home Office indicated that the problem Ms Webb encountered had since been fixed and that staff would contact her directly.
Monique Hawkins, acting chief executive of the immigration campaign group the3million, noted that similar cases to Ms Webb's have been observed, highlighting vulnerabilities in the system. She told Politico that the eVisa rollout had been "rushed."