GoKawiilHome Office eVisa glitch links twin sisters' records, strands UK resident in Spain
Nidia Webb, who has lived in the UK for eight years with settled status, was blocked from boarding her flight home from Spain after the Home Office's eVisa system confused her digital immigration record with that of her identical twin sister. She spent hours on the phone before the issue was resolved and she was allowed to fly home, though a confirmation email meant to reassure her was mistakenly sent to her sister instead.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The incident highlights ongoing reliability problems in the UK's digitised immigration status system, which the Home Office says has processed over 10 million users but still produces identity-matching errors in edge cases like twins. With reports suggesting up to 200,000 long-term UK residents could face similar disruptions reminiscent of the Windrush scandal, the case raises questions about whether adequate safeguards exist for people wrongly flagged by an automated system with no physical document backup.
- Nidia Webb's eVisa was wrongly linked to her twin sister's identity, blocking her boarding at a Spanish airport.
- The Home Office called it a 'known technical issue' affecting some twins in its digital immigration system.
- Broader concerns exist that up to 200,000 people could face similar eVisa errors reminiscent of the Windrush scandal.
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Published there as: “Woman stranded in Spain after UK's eVisa system mistakes her for twin sister”
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