My Take | Digital ID may be a bridge too far for those Brits wanting to ‘stop the boats’
The initiative is seen by many as a threat to cherished freedoms. But, if handled sensitively, it could make interactions with the government and private sector easier
The British government, desperate to ease rising concerns about illegal immigration, has announced a radical new plan.
It is one that would not be seen as remotely controversial in Hong Kong, or many other parts of the world. But in the UK, the initiative is viewed by many as a sinister threat to the country’s cherished freedoms.
The proposal, announced by Prime Minister Keir Starmer last month, envisages the introduction of identity cards to the UK. The idea, fiercely resisted by British people for decades, has faced an immediate backlash.
Starmer argues the new digital identity card system, soon to be the subject of a public consultation, is needed to deter illegal immigrants from making the dangerous journey from France in small unseaworthy boats. Thousands of asylum seekers, from Afghanistan, Syria, Sudan and other troubled countries, have been transported to the UK in this way by trafficking gangs in recent years. More than 30,000 have arrived in 2025, which is set to be a record year.
The question of how to “stop the boats” has become one of Britain’s hottest political issues, with mounting public disquiet fuelling a dramatic rise in popularity for the anti-immigration Reform UK party.
In response, the Labour government, worried about its election prospects, has adopted a series of policies intended to show it, too, can take a hardline stance on border control. These are worrying times for immigrants.