The Memo: Let’s Get Digital: Starmer’s Secure Borders Solution

Digital IDs are being introduced by the Labour government before the next general election as the UK’s answer to undocumented immigrants. UK citizens will be required to download an app – almost like a COVID pass – where their ID will be stored with information relating to their name, age, nationality and a photo. The ID will then be used for any future right to work checks. Under the UK’s current system, employees must provide evidence of their legal status via a passport or visa, and a national insurance number.

With Reform UK’s protests gaining traction across the nation due to their anti-immigration campaigns, YouGov predicts that the party would win 311 seats if the election were held now – only 15 seats away from a parliamentary majority. In response, Keir Starmer has sought to take voters’ concerns surrounding migration more seriously with his digital ID solution. The government website promises that the introduction of digital IDs will “combat illegal working while making it easier for the vast majority of people to use vital government services.”

A petition opposing the introduction of digital IDs has been signed by over 2.8 million citizens on the UK Parliament website. Those in opposition argue that undocumented migrants will be subjected to further marginalisation through exploitation, poverty and social disadvantage. Human rights groups claim this will cause digital exclusion to people who are already offline, such as the elderly and citizens below the poverty line, furthering the ostracisation of the most vulnerable groups in society. The introduction of mandatory IDs has also raised concerns surrounding citizens’ privacy, with many fearing big brother surveillance by the state. 

There is the potential for a centralised system to alleviate the risks involved in work checks as the current law imposes significant penalties for employers who knowingly or unknowingly employ someone without leave to remain. The highest penalty for this is currently a five-year jail sentence along with an unlimited fine for an employer who had “reasonable cause to believe” that a person did not have residency status.

However, there are concerns that, for smaller businesses, digital IDs will only serve as another compulsory compliance step, further complicating their hiring processes. There are also questions around the protection of people’s personal data in line with UK GDPR obligations.

A key piece of legislation providing the legal framework for digital IDs known as the ‘Data (Use and Access) Bill passed royal assent in June. This marks a huge milestone for Starmer’s proposal and a change in attitudes to digitalisation. The idea failed to gain popularity during Blair’s governance in the early 2000s and was scrapped altogether by the Conservative-Lib Dem coalition government in 2011. With mixed public reactions, it’s unclear yet if Labour will succeed in their goal before the next general election.