LONDON, United Kingdom — The UK government has announced plans to introduce a mandatory Digital ID scheme that all workers must use to prove their right to work, a core part of Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s strategy to combat illegal migration.
Sir Keir, whose Labour government has faced pressure over more than 50,000 migrants arriving via small boats since taking power, argued the new system offers dual benefits: tightening border security and streamlining public services for citizens.
The government expects the Digital ID to be mandatory for proving the right to work by the end of the current Parliament, likely by 2029.
Announcing his plans, Sir Keir stated the scheme would make the border more secure while benefiting ordinary citizens.
“Digital ID is an enormous opportunity for the UK. It will make it tougher to work illegally in this country, making our borders more secure,” he said. “And it will also offer ordinary citizens countless benefits, like being able to prove your identity to access key services swiftly – rather than hunting around for an old utility bill.”
Writing separately, the Prime Minister acknowledged the political shift, admitting his party and others on the left had previously avoided the issue. He asserted that the new policy is necessary to counter the “rise of the populist right,” citing the increasing popularity of Reform UK as a challenge for Labour.
Digital ID: Mechanism and legal stance
The Digital ID is expected to function similarly to contactless payment or the NHS app, held on individuals’ smartphones. It will include core data like name, date of birth, nationality, or residency status.
Downing Street clarified that individuals will not be required to carry their ID or be asked to produce it for general purposes, only for the mandatory right-to-work verification.
The government intends for the system to eventually simplify applications for services such as driving licenses, childcare, welfare, and tax records, while also reducing the use of fake documents by employers.
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The government maintains that the roll-out will “send a clear message that if you come here illegally, you will not be able to work,” thereby deterring Channel crossings.
Cross-party criticism and concerns
Despite the government’s security rationale, the proposal has faced immediate criticism from across the political spectrum:
- Conservatives: Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Helen Whately expressed concern over making law-abiding citizens “jump through more hoops.” While she could “see the rationale” for the ID to verify legal residency, she told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that her party “opposed to mandatory, compulsory ID cards.” She added that the proposal “would make law-abiding people have to jump through more hoops and employers have more red tape, while in the grey economy illegal working will just go on.”
- Liberal Democrats: MP and tech spokesperson Victoria Collins vowed that the party “cannot support a mandatory digital ID where people are forced to turn over their private data just to go about their daily lives.”
- Northern Ireland and Scotland: First Minister of Northern Ireland, Michelle O’Neil, called the proposal “ill-thought out” and “an attack on the Good Friday Agreement and on the rights of Irish citizens in the North of Ireland.” The SNP-led Scottish government also voiced opposition to any card that is compulsory to have or carry.
- Reform UK: A spokesperson dismissed the plans as a “cynical ploy to fool voters that something is being done about illegal immigration.”
The government will launch a three-month consultation on the scheme’s delivery later this year, with legislation expected to be introduced to Parliament early next year.
