Home Office immigration database errors hit more than 76,000 people

Major flaws in a huge Home Office immigration database have resulted in more than 76,000 people being listed with incorrect names, photographs or immigration status.

Leaked internal documents reveal the scale of the database fiasco at the Home Office, which has recently been criticised for delays in immigration application processing, long queues at borders and the distribution of incorrect identity cards.

The Home Office has been relatively silent about the database failures, referring vaguely to them as “IT issues”. Ministers have denied there is a “systemic” problem with Atlas, the tool used by border officials and immigration officers which operates off the flawed database.

Documents seen by various social media services, however, shed light on the department’s attempts to remedy a widespread problem that is causing people’s data to be mixed up, often with that of complete strangers.

The problem, which involves “merged identities”, where two or more people have biographical and biometric details linked incorrectly, is leaving people unable to prove their rights to work, rent housing or access free NHS treatment.

Government sources confirmed that an investigation was under way by the Information Commissioner’s Office, which is considering whether the failure represents data breaches.