The UK is set to introduce a nationwide digital identity scheme under new plans unveiled by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
Branded the “Brit card,” this digital ID will become mandatory for every worker across the country, in a bid to clamp down on illegal migration and unverified employment.
The digital identification system is intended to verify a person’s legal right to live and work in the UK.
Inspired by similar initiatives in Estonia, it would assign each individual a unique, scannable digital credential – effectively transforming how the UK regulates employment and tenancy rights.
What Is the ‘Brit Card’?
According to Labour Together, the think tank behind the idea, the Brit card will be a downloadable digital credential for smartphones.
Employers and landlords would be able to verify someone’s legal status using a free app, with checks feeding directly into Home Office systems.
It would be issued free of charge to everyone eligible, from British citizens to foreign nationals with legal status. Those included in the rollout would be individuals with:
- British or Irish citizenship
- Indefinite Leave to Remain
- EU Settled or Pre-Settled Status
- A valid UK visa
Employers would be legally obliged to verify a Brit card before offering employment. This process would automatically log the hiring with the Home Office to ensure compliance with UK laws.
“People shouldn’t be able to come to the UK and work illegally if they don’t have a right to work,” said Work and Pensions Minister Pat McFadden, backing the measure ahead of its official announcement.
Reason to introduce Now
The move comes amid rising concerns over illegal migration and the role of employment in incentivising it. Labour believes that by tightening access to the job market, it can reduce “pull factors” for migrants crossing the Channel.
Labour Together argues that current right-to-work checks are “complex” and open to manipulation.
Physical documents can be faked or borrowed. Digitalisation, they say, would not only streamline the process but also create a direct link between employers and the government for transparency.
The cost of developing the system is projected between £140 million and £400 million.
Digital Identity Systems Like Estonia’s Show Potential – But Raise Questions Over Privacy and State Oversight.
Civil Liberties Concerns
However, not everyone is on board. Civil rights organisations have voiced serious concerns over the compulsory nature of the scheme.
Eight major groups warned that it could push vulnerable migrants “further into the shadows.”
“The introduction of digital identification will have to be truly universal. But it must also have safeguards, which are impossible without an overarching plan,” cautioned Lord Blunkett, who led the original ID card efforts two decades ago.
Rebecca Vincent, interim director of Big Brother Watch, echoed these concerns.
Rolling out a compulsory identification system could be “uniquely harmful to privacy, equality and civil liberties,” she warned.
Over 101,000 people have already signed a petition urging the Prime Minister to abandon the proposal, fearing the risk of creating a surveillance-heavy environment.
What Happens Next?
The Brit card proposal will now enter a consultation phase before legislation is introduced. Though still in its early stages, Labour appears determined to move forward with the scheme as part of a broader strategy to curb illegal immigration and modernise how the UK manages its workforce.
If implemented, the Brit card would become a routine part of daily life, integrated into job applications, tenancy agreements, and likely, other government services in future.
But as pressure mounts from civil rights advocates, the government may face an uphill battle in convincing the public that such a measure is both necessary and safe.
While the Brit card promises a more secure and efficient system for verifying legal status, it sits at the intersection of national security, technological innovation, and civil liberty, a trio not easily reconciled.
