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Sir Keir Starmer has indicated that the government is exploring the potential of digital identification as a mechanism to address illegal immigration.
The Prime Minister suggested a new identity program could be “important” in deterring unauthorized entry into the UK.
Sir Keir noted that attitudes have “moved on” since the contentious debates surrounding ID cards under the previous Labour government in the mid-2000s.
However, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch expressed skepticism, stating, “I don’t think as a way of helping to control immigration, it is really going to solve the problem.”
Speaking to political editor Chris Mason, Sir Keir stated: “We all carry a lot more digital ID now than we did 20 years ago, and I think that psychologically, it plays a different part.”
When questioned about whether a new scheme could reduce the UK’s attractiveness to illegal migrants, he responded: “My instinct is it can play an important part. Obviously we need to look through some of the detail.”
He further commented that public perception of a digital-based scheme would likely “look differently” compared to the physical ID card scheme proposed two decades ago.
The Prime Minister did not confirm whether any new digital ID scheme would be mandatory.
Current regulations require employers to verify the right to work status of prospective employees in the UK.
Since 2022, employers have been able to conduct checks on British and Irish passport holders using government-certified digital verification services.
The Home Office also operates an online scheme to verify the immigration status of certain non-British or Irish citizens whose details are held electronically.
Officials are reportedly considering whether digital ID could provide a more standardized approach to identity verification.
They are also examining the potential for the scheme to reduce the use of fraudulent documents and streamline enforcement efforts.
Sir Keir’s remarks are the most supportive to date regarding the concept, which is anticipated to reignite debate surrounding civil liberties.
Cabinet Office minister Pat McFadden recently visited Estonia to study the country’s extensive use of digital identity for accessing government and private services like medical records, voting, and banking.
The government has previously rejected a digital ID proposal suggested by former Labour Prime Minister Sir Tony Blair, whose government introduced plastic ID cards in the late 2000s.
Legislation for the scheme faced significant opposition in the House of Lords, and plans to make them mandatory for UK citizens were later abandoned.
Approximately 15,000 cards were issued before the scheme was scrapped, and the database destroyed, by the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government in 2011.
When asked about the Tory position on digital ID, leader Kemi Badenoch stated it would not aid the government in fulfilling its pledge to “smash the gangs or stop the boats”.
“A lot of people who come to the country end up disappearing into the grey economy, or the black economy. and working illegally,” she added.
“Digital ID cards would not fix that.”
Penalties, including fines of up to £60,000 per unauthorized worker, are in place for employers found to be employing foreign nationals illegally.
For agency workers, the responsibility for conducting the necessary checks lies with the employment agency.
In March, the government announced that the requirement to conduct a test would be extended to self-employed contractors working on behalf of a company.
Currently, firms are only responsible for conducting checks on such workers if they have sponsored the visa allowing them to work in the UK.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper argued the extension would aid enforcement in the so-called gig economy, where many workers are employed in temporary or casual roles.
In July, French President Emmanuel Macron stated that the UK had agreed to address the “fight against illegal work” as part of pull factors attracting illegal migrants.
The government is also under pressure to find alternative living arrangements for approximately 32,000 asylum seekers currently housed in taxpayer-funded hotels while their claims are processed.
Ministers have pledged to cease using hotels to house asylum seekers by the time of the next election, due by 2029.
Sir Keir mentioned he had directed officials at the Home Office and Ministry of Defence to “work at pace” to identify military sites that could provide alternative accommodation.
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