Nearly three million people have signed a petition to scrap the newly announced Digital ID scheme, marking yet more public distrust for Keir Starmer’s government. The proposition of a mandatory digital ID has been marketed as a means of tackling irregular migration and would theoretically make it harder to illegally find work in the UK. The scheme, which would store personal information and residency status on one system, would in time, further integrate key services, putting access to the NHS, tax services, and more onto a centralised authentication system. However, despite being compared to existing digital identification systems used by nations around the world, the ramifications of its implementation in the UK are particularly extensive.
In the wake of Reform UK’s increasing popularity and the Unite the Kingdom rally earlier this month, Starmer’s government is under the watchful eye of the British public, particularly about immigration. In accordance with the proposed scheme, a digital ID would be required to work in the UK, possibly reducing document forgery and consequent access to employment. Limiting illegal immigrants’ ability to find work would supposedly disincentivise small boat crossings, but the approach is more complex in practicality, and it’s still unclear how effective the digital ID would be. The UK has recently implemented an eVisa system, which has faced various hiccups, suggesting a lack of readiness for a digital ID system. Many, despite being eligible, are yet to register for a new eVisa, and some who have tried have struggled to gain access. With systemic access issues, the Home Office risks a repeat of the Windrush Scandal, during which “an institutional ignorance and thoughtlessness” led to the wrongful detention, denial of legal rights, and even deportation of legal UK residents of the Windrush generation. The scheme also risks marginalising other vulnerable communities, such as the 7 per cent who do not own a smartphone. Although the scheme intends to consult on this, a mandatory digital ID would put those lacking digital literacy at a cliff edge, and there would no doubt be inconsistencies in access to key services.
Scepticism over the digital ID is also down to a serious lack of faith in Number 10, which has caused concerns over its use by the government. A spokesperson for Reform called the scheme a “cynical ploy to fool voters that something is being done about illegal immigration”, but the party’s anti-immigration policies would benefit from implementation of the Digital ID nonetheless; in September, Farage announced plans to abolish Indefinite Leave to Remain, which allows people to apply for settlement in the UK. If Reform were to win the next election, immigrants would instead have to reapply for a visa every five years, and under stricter rules of acceptancy. Holding all the relevant information, a mandatory digital ID would increase the potential for mass profiling and immigrant exclusion from legal rights and benefit access, particularly under a right-wing government. This isn’t to say that the country would immediately become a “papers, please” sort of society, but without sufficient guardianship such a database would risk infringements on civil liberties and the privacy of law-abiding citizens.
Why then, is now the time to introduce the Digital ID, especially without public interest? Justification for the scheme draws comparisons to nations like Australia who have implemented similar systems, but there is a reasonable disparity in digital infrastructure. For example, the Australian digital ID is a digital, voluntary alternative and is a culmination of gradual progress towards digital integration. This includes legislation to ensure the public can “have confidence knowing their personal information is private, safe, and secure,” an assurance many feel this country lacks. Despite also having existing Right to Work checks in the UK, the burden of adapting to the digital ID would largely fall on law-abiding citizens and businesses, and it remains to be seen how the government plans to enforce the scheme on otherwise illegal practices. There is also the question of how Number 10 will implement the Digital ID in Northern Ireland, where the five main political parties have expressed a united rejection of the scheme. Michelle O’Neill, the Northern Irish First Minister, has called the proposal an “attack” on the Good Friday Agreement, as it potentially compromises the freedom of those born in Northern Ireland to identify as Irish, British, or both. If those who choose an Irish passport are forced to use a Digital ID to work in the UK, the government’s commitment to the scheme will surely face further scrutiny.
The prospect of a centralised system could have its benefits, though. Since the Identity Cards Act of 2006 (which could be considered the forebear of the digital scheme) was scrapped by the coalition government in 2010, there has been an increased need for digital evolution. The new ID could limit isolated incidents of document fraud and, in time, bring key services onto a singular digital medium. However, as advocacy group Liberty has emphasised, the human rights concerns associated with the 2006 scheme have not changed and we therefore require a trustworthy service with fair and proper implementation. Unfortunately, as long as the public cannot be assured of its rightful application, the complications associated with a mandatory digital ID seem to outweigh the suggested societal benefits.
“Keir Starmer, 2020 Labour Party leadership election hustings, Bristol 1” by Rwendland is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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Digital ID: Starmer’s new silver bullet
Nearly three million people have signed a petition to scrap the newly announced Digital ID scheme, marking yet more public distrust for Keir Starmer’s government. The proposition of a mandatory digital ID has been marketed as a means of tackling irregular migration and would theoretically make it harder to illegally find work in the UK. The scheme, which would store personal information and residency status on one system, would in time, further integrate key services, putting access to the NHS, tax services, and more onto a centralised authentication system. However, despite being compared to existing digital identification systems used by nations around the world, the ramifications of its implementation in the UK are particularly extensive.
In the wake of Reform UK’s increasing popularity and the Unite the Kingdom rally earlier this month, Starmer’s government is under the watchful eye of the British public, particularly about immigration. In accordance with the proposed scheme, a digital ID would be required to work in the UK, possibly reducing document forgery and consequent access to employment. Limiting illegal immigrants’ ability to find work would supposedly disincentivise small boat crossings, but the approach is more complex in practicality, and it’s still unclear how effective the digital ID would be. The UK has recently implemented an eVisa system, which has faced various hiccups, suggesting a lack of readiness for a digital ID system. Many, despite being eligible, are yet to register for a new eVisa, and some who have tried have struggled to gain access. With systemic access issues, the Home Office risks a repeat of the Windrush Scandal, during which “an institutional ignorance and thoughtlessness” led to the wrongful detention, denial of legal rights, and even deportation of legal UK residents of the Windrush generation. The scheme also risks marginalising other vulnerable communities, such as the 7 per cent who do not own a smartphone. Although the scheme intends to consult on this, a mandatory digital ID would put those lacking digital literacy at a cliff edge, and there would no doubt be inconsistencies in access to key services.
Scepticism over the digital ID is also down to a serious lack of faith in Number 10, which has caused concerns over its use by the government. A spokesperson for Reform called the scheme a “cynical ploy to fool voters that something is being done about illegal immigration”, but the party’s anti-immigration policies would benefit from implementation of the Digital ID nonetheless; in September, Farage announced plans to abolish Indefinite Leave to Remain, which allows people to apply for settlement in the UK. If Reform were to win the next election, immigrants would instead have to reapply for a visa every five years, and under stricter rules of acceptancy. Holding all the relevant information, a mandatory digital ID would increase the potential for mass profiling and immigrant exclusion from legal rights and benefit access, particularly under a right-wing government. This isn’t to say that the country would immediately become a “papers, please” sort of society, but without sufficient guardianship such a database would risk infringements on civil liberties and the privacy of law-abiding citizens.
Why then, is now the time to introduce the Digital ID, especially without public interest? Justification for the scheme draws comparisons to nations like Australia who have implemented similar systems, but there is a reasonable disparity in digital infrastructure. For example, the Australian digital ID is a digital, voluntary alternative and is a culmination of gradual progress towards digital integration. This includes legislation to ensure the public can “have confidence knowing their personal information is private, safe, and secure,” an assurance many feel this country lacks. Despite also having existing Right to Work checks in the UK, the burden of adapting to the digital ID would largely fall on law-abiding citizens and businesses, and it remains to be seen how the government plans to enforce the scheme on otherwise illegal practices. There is also the question of how Number 10 will implement the Digital ID in Northern Ireland, where the five main political parties have expressed a united rejection of the scheme. Michelle O’Neill, the Northern Irish First Minister, has called the proposal an “attack” on the Good Friday Agreement, as it potentially compromises the freedom of those born in Northern Ireland to identify as Irish, British, or both. If those who choose an Irish passport are forced to use a Digital ID to work in the UK, the government’s commitment to the scheme will surely face further scrutiny.
The prospect of a centralised system could have its benefits, though. Since the Identity Cards Act of 2006 (which could be considered the forebear of the digital scheme) was scrapped by the coalition government in 2010, there has been an increased need for digital evolution. The new ID could limit isolated incidents of document fraud and, in time, bring key services onto a singular digital medium. However, as advocacy group Liberty has emphasised, the human rights concerns associated with the 2006 scheme have not changed and we therefore require a trustworthy service with fair and proper implementation. Unfortunately, as long as the public cannot be assured of its rightful application, the complications associated with a mandatory digital ID seem to outweigh the suggested societal benefits.
“Keir Starmer, 2020 Labour Party leadership election hustings, Bristol 1” by Rwendland is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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