Department announces biometric cards due to expire at the end of 2024 will be accepted until March, but declines to say how many still need to apply for digital alternative
The Home Office is to allow holders of expired physical immigration documents to travel to and from the UK for at least three months after the proposed deadline for switching to a digital eVisa.
Alongside the announcement of the grace period – which will run until 31 March 2025 – the department also claimed that more than 3.1 million people have signed up for an eVisa since the rollout of digitisation began nine months ago. The digital documents, issued by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI), are replacing physical equivalents, including biometric residence cards and biometric residence permits (BRCs and BRPs) – which can no longer be applied for and are largely due to expire on 31 December.
The Home Office declined to provide any details of how many BRC and BRP holders have yet to apply for an eVisa, nor how big a percentage of those that need to do so is represented by the 3.1 million figure quoted by the department.
In a written parliament statement, migration and citizenship minister Seema Malhotra said “there are still a proportion of customers who have not yet signed up, and we would strongly encourage them to do so” as soon as possible. This includes parents or carers who need to register on behalf of others.
“This account creation process has been more difficult for a small proportion of customers, for example where they have lost their BRP and have no other form of identity document,” Malhotra said. “We have already made changes to improve the process for these customers, including creating UKVI accounts automatically for newly recognised refugees since 1 November. But we remain concerned that some of the risks of the rollout, particularly to those making the transition from BRPs and legacy documents, were not clearly identified and managed under the previous administration and have been consulting stakeholders on other issues raised by them, along with the wider concern that this change could lead to another Windrush. For these reasons, we have been working intensively since the summer to understand the challenges being experienced, to listen and respond to the issues raised, and to adjust the rollout plans accordingly.”
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This adjustment means that airlines and other travel providers have been instructed by government to continue accepting physical BRP and BRC documents that expire on 31 December or later as evidence of permission to travel to the UK. This transition window is scheduled to last until 31 March – a timeframe which “will be kept under review”, according to the Home Office.
The extension of documents’ is intended to provide some reassurance to the large numbers of people travelling internationally around Christmas and the New Year.
“Passengers will remain subject to the usual immigration checks and requirements, and anyone seeking to enter the UK whose underlying immigration status has expired will be liable for refusal of entry,” the department added.
The Home Office encourages anyone yet to apply for an eVisa or requiring more information to visit www.gov.uk/eVisa.
‘High risk of travel chaos’
Plans for the digitisation of immigration system – which began with the EU Settlement Scheme and is intended to ultimately eliminate all physical documents – has been subject to much criticism and controversy in recent years. Parliamentary committees and civil society groups have been among those to warn of the parallels with the Windrush scandal, and the risks of citizens – particularly the most vulnerable – being deprived of their rights.
Among the most vocal critics has been the3million – the campaign group established following the Brexit vote to advocate for the rights of EU citizens in the UK.
While welcoming the three-month extension of the validity of documents, the group claimed that it is a sticking plaster for wider “systemic failures and unresolved issues”.
“While the Home Office insisted that digital status ‘cannot be lost, stolen, or tampered with,’ the reality has proven otherwise. Lives have been disrupted, and trust in the system eroded,” said Monique Hawkins, policy and research officer at the3million. “There’s an incredibly high risk of travel chaos ahead, and it’s too late to kick the can down the road. After six years of giving evidence to parliamentary committees, two judicial reviews and seven attempts to secure amendments to bills, it’s clear the current system does not work. A public inquiry is essential to address the ongoing and future risks posed by the current implementation of eVisas.”
