People who have lived in the UK for decades fear being shut out by eVisas | Immigration and Asylum

People who have been UK residents for decades are worried they will be stuck in the country when e-Visas come into effect at the end of the year.

The plan means that many physical immigration documents, such as the Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) or Biometric Residence Card (BRC), will have to be replaced with online visas that critics say do not work properly.

Current permits show proof of the right to live, rent, work and claim benefits in the UK, but critics say flaws in the eVisa design, rollout and implementation could be problematic.

There is particular concern about the 200,000 people in the UK who have heritage documents proving their right to reside in the UK and who are expected to apply first for the BRP and then for UK visas and immigration accounts. As with the Windrush scandal, these are often older people who are unaware that they need to apply for an eVisa until they access health or other public services.

American actress Kathleen Harper, 78, received an indefinite stay permit in 1974 and had her paper passport stamped. The Home Office did not send her any information about the eVisa scheme and she knew nothing about it until a friend living in the US told her she had read about it.

Despite staying indefinitely for half a century, she was effectively asked to re-apply for the right to remain in the UK. The Home Office asked for evidence that she had lived in the UK for every 50 years she had been there.

I had no idea what kind of evidence the Home Office required for 50 years in the UK, and when I asked them they couldn't really tell me. “I’ve been working as an actor here for a long time, so it’s a good thing there’s a lot of records of my work,” Harper said. I'm still waiting to find out when I can make an appointment with the Home Office about my eVisa. I've had two strokes, one a TIA, and I think it's all been very stressful.

She told the Guardian that when she spoke to Home Office officials about her concerns, she was told she would not be actively deported but might not be allowed to return to the UK if she travels abroad. She has booked a family holiday to Sri Lanka in January and is worried she will not be able to return to the UK.

Her concerns are shared by many people who have the right to reside in the UK but are not British citizens. A British man fears his foreign-born wife will be kicked out of the UK the next time she travels to their home country to see family. My wife now has an eVisa. Your photo and date of birth will be displayed, but your passport number will not be displayed. I don't understand how a foreign airline would accept this as proof of immigration status, he said. It looks like the kind of thing you can make in Photoshop.

Sara Alsherif, Migrant Digital Justice Program Manager at Open Rights Group, said: “But once again migrants are living in fear that they will not be able to prove their right to reside in the UK because of a flawed Home Office program. Many people have travel plans and are worried they could be refused entry into the UK after Christmas.

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With just a few weeks left until the deadline set by the Home Office itself, we are in a crisis situation. The government must recognize that this plan is flawed and take urgent action to avoid another Windrush scandal in the new year.

Monique Hawkins, head of policy and research at The3million, a support agency for EU citizens in the UK, said: We have seen people who, despite securing immigration status, suddenly find themselves unable to prove their rights. System failures have resulted in people losing job offers, housing contracts and even being stranded abroad.

Seema Malhotra, Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, said: Everyone with a physical immigration document must take steps now to switch to an eVisa and I want to reassure those who need it that free advice and support is available. The eVisa cannot be lost, stolen or tampered with and allows visa holders to instantly and securely prove their immigration rights. A diversion does not change, affect, or eliminate a customer's current rights or immigration status.

Harper said: The way the Home Office behaves makes me feel like I don't matter. I thought I belonged here, but now I don't. I have to prove my rights once again.

Sources 1/ https://Google.com/ 2/ https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024/oct/06/people-who-have-lived-in-uk-for-decades-fear-being-locked-out-by-evisas The mention sources can contact us to remove/changing this article

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