The Labour government says the new mandatory digital ID will curb illegal work, but critics warn of surveillance and exclusion.

The United Kingdom is preparing to launch a nationwide digital identity scheme for citizens and residents, in what ministers describe as a major step to crack down on undocumented immigration and illegal work.

Announced on Friday by Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour government, the initiative will see personal details including name, date of birth, nationality, residency status, and photo stored on smartphones in a free, state-issued digital ID app.

While officials stressed that people would not be required to carry proof of identity in everyday life, the ID will be “mandatory as a means of proving your right to work.” According to a government statement, the measure is designed to stop undocumented migrants from finding employment, “removing one of the key pull factors” driving illegal immigration.

Starmer called the move both a security measure and a modernization of public services.

“Digital ID is an enormous opportunity for the UK,” he said. “It will make it tougher to work illegally in this country, making our borders more secure, while also offering ordinary citizens countless benefits.”

The government argues the system will also simplify applications for driving licences, childcare support, welfare, and tax records, positioning the plan as a digital overhaul of state-citizen interactions.

The announcement has triggered sharp criticism from opposition parties and civil liberties groups, reviving the UK’s longstanding unease over national ID systems. Identity cards, introduced during World War II, were abolished in 1952 and have faced political resistance ever since.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch declared her party would oppose the scheme, writing on X that they would “not support any system that is mandatory for British people or excludes those who choose not to use it.”

The Liberal Democrats also rejected mandatory digital ID, warning it could pressure people to surrender private data “just to go about their daily lives.”

Meanwhile, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage condemned the plan as a “cynical ploy” that would “make no difference to illegal immigration, but, control and penalise the rest of us.”

The plan revives a contentious issue that previous Labour leaders failed to push through. In the 2000s, Tony Blair’s Labour government attempted to introduce physical ID cards, but the scheme was scrapped by successor Gordon Brown amid civil liberties backlash.

This time, Labour is betting that public frustration over immigration will override those concerns. The announcement came just days before Labour’s annual party conference, underscoring its political weight.

A petition against the proposal had gathered over 575,000 signatures by Friday morning. Yet polls show a majority of Britons support the idea of some form of ID system, reflecting shifting attitudes in a country where immigration remains at the top of the political agenda. (AriseNews TV)