Nidia Webb, an EU national who has resided in the United Kingdom for eight years, was prevented from boarding a flight back to the UK due to a malfunction in the government’s digital visa (eVisa) system. Upon attempting to check in, Webb was informed that her status was flagged because the system had conflated her records with those of her twin sister.

According to reports, airline staff and relevant authorities characterized the incident as a 'known issue' currently affecting twins within the digital immigration database. This technical error effectively invalidated Webb’s travel credentials, leaving her stranded despite her legal residency status. The incident highlights potential vulnerabilities in the UK's transition to a fully digital immigration system, particularly regarding how the software handles individuals with identical biographical data or shared family identifiers. While the government has been pushing for the adoption of eVisas to modernize border control, this case suggests that the system may struggle to distinguish between closely related individuals, leading to significant travel disruptions for legal residents. As of the report, there has been no official statement from the Home Office detailing how they intend to rectify these specific database errors for other twins or individuals with similar records.