The United Kingdom will implement a mandatory digital ID card to curb illegal immigration

London.- The British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, announced this Friday the introduction for the first time in the United Kingdom of a free digital identity card that will be mandatory to show in order to work or rent a home, in order to deter illegal immigration. The country currently lacks a national identity document, and citizens identify themselves with a passport, driver’s license, or other supporting documents.

Criticism from the opposition and human rights associations

The new measure, which will involve the existence of a centralized database, raises opposition among some politicians and human rights organizations, who fear excessive state intrusion. According to a statement, the credential will be integrated into the government’s future digital wallet and can be stored on the user’s phone with “latest generation” encryption. However, it will not be mandatory to carry it with you or show it except in the required cases: to demonstrate the right to work for a new job and, in a second phase, to rent a home. The ID card, which is expected to come into effect this legislature, pending the approval of a law, will include name, date of birth, nationality or residency status, and photo for biometric verification. If the mobile is lost, the data can be revoked and reissued, the statement details.

The Labour government emphasizes that the document will streamline procedures such as obtaining a driver’s license, accessing tax records, and applying for social assistance, reducing the need for paperwork.

A Public Consultation

Currently, in bureaucratic processes in the United Kingdom, identity must be proven with several means at once, which may also include, for example, the presentation of bills to prove residency. The Executive will open a public consultation this year to define the service and guarantee access for people without a smartphone, facilitating in-person assistance for vulnerable groups, the statement says.

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According to the Prime Minister, the new tool will serve to close access to the labor market to those who are not entitled to reside in the country and thus reduce one of the main claims of irregular crossings from France by boat through the English Channel.

“A secure border and controlled migration are reasonable demands, and this Government is listening and complying,” Starmer affirmed.

In his opinion, digital identification will “strengthen the fight against illegal work and offer citizens advantages by demonstrating their identity to quickly access key services.” The project revives a debate that already failed in 2006, when Tony Blair’s Labour government tried to implement a physical card, annulled in 2010 by the Conservatives for considering it costly and a threat to privacy, while other systems considered later had limited scope.

Starmer cites Sánchez as an example of progressivism

On the other hand, the British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, cited the President of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sánchez, as an example of progressive leadership and that center-left politics “is not disappearing,” during his speech at the Summit for Global Progress Action. Starmer warned that progressive politics is going through “an era of enormous challenges”, but stressed that it can be inspired by leaders such as Sánchez and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.  “This is a gathering of people united by a common cause. The patriotic renewal of our nations is based on values of dignity and respect, equality and justice, and on the conviction that social democratic means are the best way to achieve it,” said the prime minister. Sánchez will speak around 12:30 GMT on the panel ‘The Future of Multilateralism: A coalition to address global challenges’, alongside the former Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern, moderated by the American advisor John Podesta.