Less than a month after the UK Home Office replaced physical documents with an e-Visa immigration system, travellers, immigrants, and refugees are reporting issues with the new system, echoing warnings from migrant support groups and civil societies.

December 31 2024 saw the expiry of immigration documents across the UK, forcing immigrants to transition to an online-only system to prove their immigration status, which is required for their right to work, reside, and access many services in the UK.

While the UK has issued e-documents for years, paper immigration documents, such as biometric residency cards, have no been completely phased out and cannot be relied upon to enter the UK, prove a person’s right to work, or access services like GPs or letting agencies.

Just two weeks into the transition, The Independent reported several instances of immigrants being unable to board flights due to airlines not being able to access their immigration status without logging into their accounts manually, and airline check-ins being ill-equipped to deal with the share codes the e-Visa system now relies on.

Prior to the transition, the Home Office assured visa holders that airlines would be able to handle the transition and would have access to automated status checks to prove the immigration status of a visa holder, and even access the website themselves to prove a traveler’s status.

Further, the Home Office said that they had made a 24/7 helpline available to foreign border forces and airline carriers to help with the transition.

Still, the report found that travelers from France, Germany, Malawi, Egypt, and Cyprus struggled on the system to prove their UK immigration status which impacts their ability to travel to the country.

Those residing in the UK are also struggling, reports from immigration advocacy groups and charities show, as thousands are still waiting to receive their e-visas despite their physical documents having expired.

Without proof of immigration status, visa holders are unable to receive benefits, apply for flats, access GPs, enroll in schools, open a bank account, and other key services for everyday life.

Refugees are also struggling to match their legal status with their passports under the new system as well, according to the groups supporting them.

Many are now facing evictions from the Home Office as they wait for their e-Visas, a spokesperson the charity The Gap explained.

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Other refugees and immigrants are unable to log into the UKVI accounts – the online account that show a person’s immigration status – due to a myriad of issues.

Before the e-Visa system fully took over, the Home Office said it would not be liable for any problems or disruptions, including direct or indirect losses, due to the use of the UKVI account.

This included any data that was lost or corrupted during the use of the UKVI application.

The Open Rights Group, which has continually come out against the dramatic shift to real-time, online-only immigration records, says that this lack of liability essentially implies that the Home Office was already aware of the technical issues of the transition, “and is pre-emptively protecting itself against legitimate legal claims.”

The ORG had previously asked the Home Office to allow the use of QR codes or another type of saveable proof of immigration to allow for the more seamless access to services and travel.

The Home Office, however, insisted on the real-time element of the new system, saying that visas must reflect the current immigration status held at the exact moment of travel.

Visa holders were given until 31 December 2024 to apply for their e-Visa, which is not an instantaneous process even if a person has the legal right to live, work, or study in the UK.

“Many refugees are still waiting for their e-Visas,” the ORG said. ” Without them, they cannot work, set up a bank account, rent somewhere to live or claim benefits. The Home Office needs to sort out this mess urgently.”

This means that currently, the government is not providing immigrants or refugees with their conditional rights to access services or prove their status, even though the visa holder has gone through the many bureaucratic and financial hoops to achieve their status.