UK makes digital ID mandatory for employment as Starmer announces scheme

LONDON (AP) — Britain will require all workers to have a digital identification card by the end of this parliamentary term, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced Friday, marking the country’s first mandatory ID system since World War II.

The free digital ID will be stored on smartphones and become mandatory for proving the right to work in the UK, though citizens will not be required to carry it or produce it on demand. The term “BritCard” has been used by some commentators and think tanks, though the government has not officially adopted this name.

“Let me spell it out: You will not be able to work in the United Kingdom if you do not have digital ID,” Starmer told the Global Progress Action Summit in London, attended by leaders including Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.

The government says the scheme will combat illegal immigration by preventing unauthorized workers from finding employment, which officials describe as a key “pull factor” for people crossing the English Channel illegally. About 49,000 irregular arrivals were recorded in the year ending June 2025, predominantly via small boats.

Starmer acknowledged in an article for The Telegraph that Labour had previously “shied away” from addressing immigration concerns, but said it is now “essential” to tackle “every aspect of the problem of illegal immigration.”

“It is not compassionate left-wing politics to rely on labour that exploits foreign workers and undercuts fair wages,” Starmer told the conference. “The simple fact is that every nation needs to have control over its borders.”

How the Digital ID System Works

The digital ID will include a person’s name, date of birth, photo, nationality and residency status, functioning similarly to the NHS App or contactless payment cards. Employers will use a free verification app to check workers’ right-to-work status against a central database.

For those without smartphones, the government says alternative access methods will be provided, with dedicated assistance for people with physical or cognitive disabilities.

Political Opposition Mounts

The announcement sparked immediate backlash across the political spectrum. Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said her party “will oppose any push by this organisation or the government to impose mandatory ID cards on law-abiding citizens.”

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage called it state overreach, writing on social media: “It will make no difference to illegal immigration, but it will be used to control and penalize the rest of us.”

The Liberal Democrats said they would not support mandatory digital ID where people are “forced to turn over their private data just to go about their daily lives.”

A public petition opposing the digital ID cards has surpassed 1.5 million signatures, with organizers warning of “mass surveillance and digital control.”

Privacy and Security Concerns

Privacy advocates highlight dangers of centralizing sensitive personal data in one system, warning that breaches or expanded database use could lead to “surveillance creep.”

Silkie Carlo, director of Big Brother Watch, warned the system could “extend across public services, creating a domestic mass surveillance infrastructure that will likely sprawl from citizenship to benefits, tax, health, possibly even internet data and more.”

The government maintains that digital credentials will be stored directly on users’ devices with “state-of-the-art encryption,” and that lost or stolen phones can have credentials immediately revoked and reissued.

Historical Context

The UK has only previously had mandatory ID cards during wartime, with the last tranche scrapped in 1952. Labour’s previous attempt to introduce ID cards in 2006 under Tony Blair was repealed in 2010 by the Conservative-led coalition, which estimated the failed scheme had cost £4.6 billion.

Earlier this month, Starmer said he thought the debate around ID cards had “moved on” since the 2000s. “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,” he told the BBC.

The current proposal has been influenced by Labour Together, a pro-Starmer think tank that published a detailed proposal in June 2025. French President Emmanuel Macron has also reportedly encouraged Starmer to consider digital ID as a tool against illegal migration.

The government plans a public consultation on the practicalities of the scheme later this year, including how to make it work for those without smartphones or passports. Implementation is expected by the end of the current parliament.

The Department for Transport and Home Office did not immediately respond to requests for additional comment.