UK to introduce mandatory digital ID to help combat illegal working

The digital ID, to be introduced by the end of the current Parliament, will be mandatory for Right to Work checks but will also make it easier for citizens to access services such as driving licences, childcare, welfare, and tax records. The system will be stored on mobile phones, similar to the NHS App or contactless payments.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer underlined that the plan addresses concerns about illegal migration.

“I know working people are worried about the level of illegal migration into this country. A secure border and controlled migration are reasonable demands, and this government is listening and delivering,” he said.

According to the Prime Minister, the reform will bring dual benefits. “Digital ID is an enormous opportunity for the UK. It will make it tougher to work illegally in this country, making our borders more secure. And it will also offer ordinary citizens countless benefits, like being able to prove your identity to access key services swiftly – rather than hunting around for an old utility bill.”

The government stressed that the system will not require citizens to carry identification, but employers will need to use it to verify the Right to Work. Officials believe this will reduce one of the main incentives for illegal entry by blocking access to jobs.

The initiative is part of the broader “Plan for Change” and follows a 50% increase in arrests for illegal working, as well as the first deportations under the UK-France returns deal.

Earlier, it was reported that nearly 110,000 people took to the streets of London on September 13 for a self-styled “Unite the Kingdom” march against immigration. Demonstrators carried the Union Flag and England’s St George’s Cross, chanting slogans critical of Prime Minister Keir Starmer and voicing opposition to immigration.