Journalism of Courage
Soon, all adults in the United Kingdom may have a mandatory digital ID as part of the government’s efforts to crack down on illegal immigration to the country. Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to make the announcement on Friday, according to British media reports.
The digital ID, which some have called a Brit card, would verify a citizen’s right to live and work in the UK. The mandatory government-issued digital identity card will be issued for every adult in the UK, including citizens and those on visas.
Once rolled out, anyone starting a new job in the UK will have to show their Brit card, which will then be checked against a central database of those entitled legally to work in the country.
The government argues that the new digital ID will help in cracking down on illegal immigration and those overstaying their visas.
According to The Guardian, PM Starmer said this month that digital IDs could “play an important part” in making Britain less attractive to illegal migrants, and France has repeatedly claimed that the lack of official cards acts as a “pull factor”.
In July, Labour peer Harriet Harman told Sky News that the black economy and ID cards would “make it more difficult for people to work illegally”.
UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said earlier this month that the UK must deal with being “a destination of choice for those that are on the move around the world”.
“I want to make sure that we can clamp down on that. I think that a system of digital ID can also help with illegal working enforcement of other laws as well. I do think that that has a role to play for dealing with our migration.
“My long-term personal political view has always been in favour of ID cards.”
While there are no official details of the digital ID, according to Metro, initial mockups showed the document would show whether the holder has the right to work or rent. Their driving licence would also be on the app, with hopes that the app could be used to order a passport, access NHS services or display your National Insurance number.
Digital ID is not a new concept in the UK and former Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair had tried to introduce compulsory ID cards in 2006 after the September 11 and 7/7 bombings, only for it to be scrapped.
It was renewed recently by the Starmer government, and the think-tank Labour Together said the digital ID would help reduce vast numbers of visa overstayers. It also pointed out that half of those whose asylum claims were turned down over the past 14 years were probably still in the UK.
According to Labour Together, it would cost £400 million to build the e-ID system and £10 million to run the free-to-use phone app.
