Nidia Webb found herself in a difficult situation due to a problem related to the electronic visa. It was introduced by the government to digitize the UK immigration system, but this innovation caused issues that worried thousands of people.
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As reported by Politico, N. Webb, who has lived in the UK for eight years, was informed at the departure gate that she would not be allowed to board the flight home.
“My digital permission to live permanently in the UK was linked to the data of my identical twin sister, not mine, so my status could not be properly linked to my identity,” she said. “I was told this is a known technical issue affecting some twins in the Home Office system.”
N. Webb said that Home Office staff promised over the phone to resolve the issue, but the confirmation letter was later sent to her sister, not to her.
“If I hadn’t spent several hours on the phone trying to resolve this matter, I can’t imagine how long I might have been stuck abroad,” the woman said.
A Home Office spokesperson said: “More than 10 million people have already successfully used e-visas to prove their legal status. As we expand our digital system, we are committed to ensuring data accuracy and making sure that safeguards for e-visa users are available to all who depend on the digital system.
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In rare cases where errors are identified, most are corrected within 24 hours.”
The Home Office stated that N. Webb’s issue has already been resolved and staff will contact her directly.
Serious concerns have been expressed about the e-visa system. In July 2025, The Guardian reported that up to 200,000 people who have legally lived in the UK for decades could face a situation reminiscent of the “Windrush” scandal – at that time, the UK Home Office failed to contact them and transfer their old immigration documents to the new digital system.
Monique Hawkins, interim head of the immigration campaign group the3million, said the organization had already encountered cases similar to N. Webb’s. According to her, this highlights the system’s vulnerability, so “it is very important that people have a truly reliable way to prove their status.”
She told Politico that the rollout of e-visas was “rushed,” adding: “We constantly see cases where people are not only denied boarding but also not compensated because carriers and the Home Office play a blame-shifting game, passing responsibility to each other.”
