Overview
- Minutes obtained via an RAC Foundation freedom of information request show DVSA executives told Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander that immigration demand from non‑EU countries had increased substantially.
- The documents listed “immigration options” and “minimum learning periods” among potential remedies to persistent delays.
- The backlog of scheduled practical driving tests reached 644,398 by the end of August, nearly triple the 219,786 recorded in February 2020.
- Officials also cited a rise in 17‑year‑old applicants, and UK rules require many drivers from outside the EEA to obtain a British licence through testing after 12 months.
- A government spokesperson disputed immigration as a primary cause, pointing to a 300,000 fall in net migration since last July, more than 20,000 additional tests completed between June and August, and the highest pass rate since May 2021.