UK to launch mandatory digital IDs in crackdown on illegal work, hails India's Aadhaar

London, Sep 26 (PTI) British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Friday unveiled plans to roll out a mandatory free-of-charge digital ID scheme to crack down on illegal working, stressing that anyone without such a document would not be able to find employment in the UK.

The scheme will be available to all citizens and legal residents of the UK, with the government claiming it will save time by ending the need for complicated identity checks, which often rely on copies of paper records.

In referencing global benchmarks of similar schemes, Downing Street pointed to India, where it noted how the Aadhaar cards have helped the government save "around 10 billion dollars annually by reducing fraud and leakages in welfare schemes”.

“This government will make a new, free-of-charge digital ID mandatory for the right to work before the end of this Parliament,” Starmer said, in an address at the Global Progress Action Summit in London.

According to his timeline, the new identity documents are expected to be in place by 2029 and will be held on people's smartphones, replicating the UK's National Health Service (NHS) app and contactless mobile payments.

“You will not be allowed to work in the United Kingdom if you do not have digital ID. It’s as simple as that,” said Starmer.

Striking a tough note on illegal migration and challenging the divisive politics of far-right groups such as Reform UK, Starmer admitted that the Labour Party had been “squeamish” about tough-talking on immigration.

“For too many years, it’s been too easy for people to come here, slip into the shadow economy and remain here illegally. Because frankly, we’ve been squeamish about saying things that are clearly true,” he said.

“We do need to know who is in our country. Our immigration system does need to be fair if we want to maintain that binding contract that our politics is built on, otherwise it undermines trust, undermines people’s faith that we’re on their side and their belief that the state can and will work for them,” he added.

The new scheme will select the “best aspects” of the digital identification systems that are already up and running around the world, including India, Australia, Estonia and Denmark.  According to official details, there will be no requirement for individuals to “carry” their ID or be asked to produce it all the time, but they will be compulsory as a means of proving an individual's right to work in the country.

“It will send a clear message that if you come here illegally, you will not be able to work, deterring people from making these dangerous journeys,” Downing Street said.

The new “streamlined” digital system is expected to combat criminal gangs who promise illegal migrants access and simplify the process of checks, drive up compliance, crack down on forged documents and create intelligence data on businesses. The new ID will join a digital driving licence, which the UK government had already announced plans to introduce earlier.

"In designing the digital ID scheme, the government will ensure that it works for those who aren't able to use a smartphone, with inclusion at the heart of its design. The public consultation will engage with groups who aren't as experienced with the digital world, like the homeless and older people, learning from other countries that have done this well,” Downing Street said.  The scheme is set to be rolled out alongside an outreach programme, including face-to-face support for citizens who are struggling to access the scheme. It pledges a design that has “best-in-class security” at its core, using state-of-the-art encryption and authentication technology.

“If a phone is lost or stolen, the digital credentials can be immediately revoked and reissued, providing better security than traditional physical documents,” officials said.

“The new digital ID will be the authoritative proof of who someone is and their residency status in this country. It will therefore include name, date of birth, information on nationality or residency status, and a photo – as the basis for biometric security – just like an eVisa or passport. The consultation will consider whether including additional information, like address, would be helpful,” they added. PTI AK ZH ZH