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The scheme, which authorities says will curb undocumented immigration, has drawn criticism from throughout the political spectrum.
The UK has introduced plans to introduce a digital ID scheme in a bid to curb undocumented immigration.
Introduced by the federal government on Friday, the scheme will see the digital ID of British residents and residents held on telephones. The federal government mentioned there will likely be no requirement for people to hold their ID or be requested to provide it, however that will probably be “obligatory” for employees.
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The UK has lengthy resisted the thought of Identification playing cards, which have been abolished after World Struggle II, however Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour authorities is underneath stress to deal with immigration that populist forces declare is uncontrolled.
The free digital ID would come with an individual’s title, date of start, and picture, in addition to info on their nationality and residency standing.
It is going to be “obligatory as a way of proving your proper to work”, a authorities assertion mentioned.
“This can cease these with no proper to be right here from with the ability to discover work, curbing their prospect of incomes cash, one of many key ‘pull elements’ for individuals who come to the UK illegally,” it added.
The digital ID can even make it easier to use for providers like driving licences, childcare and welfare, whereas streamlining entry to tax information, the assertion mentioned.
“Digital ID is a gigantic alternative for the UK… It is going to additionally provide strange residents numerous advantages,” Starmer mentioned. “It is going to make it harder to work illegally on this nation, making our borders safer.”
‘Digitally excluded’
The plans, which the federal government had beforehand mentioned it was contemplating, drew criticism from throughout the political spectrum.
The centrist Liberal Democrats mentioned they might not assist obligatory digital ID the place individuals are “compelled to show over their personal knowledge simply to go about their every day lives”.
Liberal Democrats can not assist obligatory digital IDs. Folks should not be criminalised simply because they do not wish to hand over their personal knowledge. pic.twitter.com/mEzV7s9vUf
— Liberal Democrats (@LibDems) September 25, 2025
Kemi Badenoch, chief of the opposition Conservative Get together, wrote on X that her celebration “will oppose any push by this organisation or the federal government to impose obligatory ID playing cards on law-abiding residents”.
“We is not going to assist any system that’s obligatory for British individuals or excludes these of us who select to not use it from any of the rights of our citizenship,” she added.
The far-right Reform UK celebration referred to as the plans a “cynical ploy” designed to “idiot” voters into considering one thing is being performed about immigration.
It additionally sought to faucet into longstanding British suspicions relating to nationwide ID schemes, that are widespread in most of Europe.
“It is going to make no distinction to unlawful immigration, however will probably be used to regulate and penalise the remainder of us,” mentioned Reform chief Nigel Farage.
I’m firmly against @Keir_Starmer’s digital ID playing cards.
It is going to make no distinction to unlawful immigration, however will probably be used to regulate and penalise the remainder of us.
The state ought to by no means have this a lot energy.
— Nigel Farage MP (@Nigel_Farage) September 25, 2025
Within the 2000s, the Labour Get together, then led by Tony Blair, tried to introduce an identification card, however the plan was ultimately dropped by Blair’s successor, Gordon Brown, after opposition referred to as it an infringement of civil liberties.
Nonetheless, with populist narratives relating to immigration now rife, the federal government seems to be betting that such issues will override the longstanding opposition.
The timing of the announcement seems no coincidence, coming as Labour prepares to carry its annual convention.
A petition demanding that ID playing cards not be launched had collected 575,000 signatures by early Friday, however current polling suggests majority assist for the transfer.
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