UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has described upcoming plans for a digital ID system, stored on individuals’ phones, as a major opportunity for the country and a step toward curbing illegal employment, reports RTE.
The proposed digital ID, referred to as the ‘Brit-Card,’ would be a mandatory tool for verifying the right to work, although individuals would not be obligated to carry it or show it without cause.
The ID will be made available to British citizens and lawful residents before the end of the current parliamentary term in 2029, reports RTE.
Mr Starmer said that the digital identification initiative represents “an enormous opportunity for the UK” and will help strengthen the country’s border controls.
“I know working people are worried about the level of illegal migration into this country. A secure border and controlled migration are reasonable demands, and this government is listening and delivering,” Mr Starmer said, reports RTE.
The plan includes storing the digital ID on smartphones in a manner similar to how contactless bank cards are used.
Eventually, it could also serve as a means of accessing various services such as welfare, childcare, and tax-related information.
“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,” Mr Starmer said, reports RTE.
Immigration consistently ranks as the top issue among British voters, and Mr Starmer is under increasing pressure to prevent illegal migration, particularly via small boat crossings from France.
Though the government had signaled it was exploring such an initiative, the proposal has drawn criticism from political rivals who argue it won’t stop illegal migration and may pose a threat to civil rights, reports RTE.
Cathal Mallaghan, Sinn Féin MP for Mid Ulster, described the digital ID proposal as “an affront to our civil liberties”.
Speaking to RTÉ’s News at One, Mr Mallaghan stated that all political parties in Stormont oppose the plan.
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“Citizens in the North, under the Good Friday Agreement, have the right to be Irish, the right to be British or the right to both if that’s what they choose. A card like this, which has now got the name of the ‘Brit card’, is not something that almost half the population here would want to be associated with. It’s an affront to our civil liberties and it’s something that all the parties here are united in opposition to,” Mr Mallaghan said, reports RTE.
He further suggested that the Labour Party would be better off focusing on raising living standards than pushing forward with this policy.
“I think if the Prime Minister really wants to deliver something for his Labour Party, delivering on services and investing in local communities would be far, far more important and more beneficial than starting to introduce this type of digital card,” he added, reports RTE.
Last night, Michelle O’Neill, Northern Ireland’s First Minister, labeled the proposal as both “ludicrous” and “ill-thought out”.
The Sinn Féin deputy leader claimed that the initiative undermines the principles of the Good Friday Agreement, reports RTE.
“The British Prime Minister’s proposal for a mandatory digital ID card is ludicrous and ill-thought out. This proposal is an attack on the Good Friday Agreement and on the rights of Irish citizens in the North of Ireland,” she said, reports RTE.
The plan is expected to go through a consultation phase and likely will need new legislation to move forward.
The Aontú party has urged members of the Stormont Assembly to oppose the proposal and stand up for civil rights.
On social media platform X, the party said the British government was planning to “force Digital ID cards on every adult in the North of Ireland”, reports RTE.
“It’s laughable that those already breaking immigration law will suddenly comply, or that digital IDs will have any impact on illegal work, which thrives on cash-in-hand payments,” said a spokesperson for Nigel Farage’s Reform UK Party, reports RTE.
“All it will do is impinge further on the freedoms of law-abiding Brits,” reports RTE.
According to the proposed measures, individuals starting a new job or attempting to rent accommodation in the UK would be required to present the digital ID via a smartphone application.
The information would be verified against a centralised database of people legally permitted to live and work in the UK, reports RTE.
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