Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Britain to introduce compulsory digital ID for workers

reuters.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

61–70 of 809 posts

Re: Britain to introduce compulsory digital ID for workers

#61

Post by monerozcash »

JumpCrisscross wrote: post #44
remarkEon wrote: post #21

>The proposals are the government's latest bid to tackle illegal immigration, with the new ID being a form of proof of a citizen's right to live and work in the UK. How does a digital ID solve an illegal immigration problem? I watched the video and the suggestion is that this makes it easier for employers to verify that someone is authorized to work. Is that actually true? I don't live in the UK and have not visited…

> How does a digital ID solve an illegal immigration problem? It's presumably harder to forge a cryptographic signature than paper documents? Not saying it's a good tradeoff. But executed competently, it makes sense in theory.

But it's not very hard to forge the application papers. Passport fraud is already not uncommon in Britain, people are getting authentic passports with cryptographic signatures using dishonest applications every single day.

Re: Britain to introduce compulsory digital ID for workers

#62

Post by curtisblaine »

mrtksn wrote: post #49
wsc981 wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[flagged]

That's just propaganda. It does matter if you are legal or not a lot. It's extremely hard for an illegal immigrant to have a life in EU. Free housing is some shithole where you have to stay all the time until you are processed and that can take years, healthcare is something very basic if you get injured and welfare is some very basic food or money to buy food. Some countries with enough resources may provide somethi…

But the "life hack", as far as I understand, is not living in Uk's govt temporary accommodation waiting for a decision, it's rather leaving your temporary accommodation without any way for the government to track you, then work illegal, cash in hand jobs, which are still more remunerative than what you had back home. In this case, seeking asylum is not the goal: it's just a loop-hole to not get deported immediately.

Re: Britain to introduce compulsory digital ID for workers

#63

Post by laurieg »

OhMeadhbh wrote: post #10
digianarchist wrote: post #9

If it's only applicable to citizens then how do they hope it will help on migration? Edit: The Times says this is to include all workers: https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/digital-id-comp...

When the cops stop you on the street and ask for your digital ID and you can't show it to them, they'll take you to a deportation center. #PapersPlease

This is how things work in Japan. If you are not a Japanese citizen then the police can ask to see your residence card to confirm your status.

Re: Britain to introduce compulsory digital ID for workers

#64

Post by mrtksn »

curtisblaine wrote: post #62
mrtksn wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's just propaganda. It does matter if you are legal or not a lot. It's extremely hard for an illegal immigrant to have a life in EU. Free housing is some shithole where you have to stay all the time until you are processed and that can take years, healthcare is something very basic if you get injured and welfare is some very basic food or money to buy food. Some countries with enough resources may provide somethi…

But the "life hack", as far as I understand, is not living in Uk's govt temporary accommodation waiting for a decision, it's rather leaving your temporary accommodation without any way for the government to track you, then work illegal, cash in hand jobs, which are still more remunerative than what you had back home. In this case, seeking asylum is not the goal: it's just a loop-hole to not get deported immediately.

Everyone can do that if its that great.

Some years ago I met a Palestinian guy in who was staying in hostels in London, receiving something like 800GBP as aid and illegally working his ass off in constructions for something around the min wage. I've seen him only in the late evenings as he was working all the other times.

He was living the dream I guess. Hacked the life.

Anyway, I have him on Facebook and occasionally check on him and he eventually he became properly documented and the last time I checked he got into real estate business.

Immigrants are not life hacking, they are just trying to build a life on hard mode. The end game is to become legal, which is the the default state of the people who feel like they are the victim and immigrants are having it good.

Re: Britain to introduce compulsory digital ID for workers

#65

Post by m2f2 »

I just wonder how widespread fraud is without any form of ID. A fake utility bill is just a few clicks away on my PC.

Govt surveillance? I'm much more worried by the ever increasing number of cameras in the streets rather than something similar to having a passport to prove who you really are.

Re: Britain to introduce compulsory digital ID for workers

#66

Post by derektank »

wsc981 wrote: post #46
remarkEon wrote: post #21

>The proposals are the government's latest bid to tackle illegal immigration, with the new ID being a form of proof of a citizen's right to live and work in the UK. How does a digital ID solve an illegal immigration problem? I watched the video and the suggestion is that this makes it easier for employers to verify that someone is authorized to work. Is that actually true? I don't live in the UK and have not visited…

Of course a digital id doesn’t prevent illegal immigration. Proper border checks prevent illegal immigration. The digital ids are introduced for other reasons - this is something Tony Blair has been pushing for a long time.

Proper border checks don't do much if people enter the country legally but overstay their visas

IDs (along with verification laws) discourage employers from hiring unauthorized immigrants, and without access to gainful employment, many will opt to return to their country of origin, or choose not to come in the first place.

Re: Britain to introduce compulsory digital ID for workers

#67

Post by logifail »

JumpCrisscross wrote: post #44
remarkEon wrote: post #21

>The proposals are the government's latest bid to tackle illegal immigration, with the new ID being a form of proof of a citizen's right to live and work in the UK. How does a digital ID solve an illegal immigration problem? I watched the video and the suggestion is that this makes it easier for employers to verify that someone is authorized to work. Is that actually true? I don't live in the UK and have not visited…

> How does a digital ID solve an illegal immigration problem? It's presumably harder to forge a cryptographic signature than paper documents? Not saying it's a good tradeoff. But executed competently, it makes sense in theory.

> It's presumably harder to forge a cryptographic signature than paper documents?

Unless there is both serious pressure from the state and the population at large supports a massive increase in checking and being checked I struggle to see this working.

During the pandemic various countries experimented with mandating showing of QR codes to do stuff to "prove" compliance ... yet looking back on that, all it seems to have done is accelerate the erosion of trust in politicians and systems of government :/

Re: Britain to introduce compulsory digital ID for workers

#68

Post by marak830 »

throwawaydjdu wrote: post #11

Reminder that the UK arrests 12000/year for online posts, by far the most in the West. The UK already has government issued ID, the proof of age card. This is about tying your identity to your online behaviour.

"But it’s not just “online comments” as Yaxley-Lennon seems to imply. A police officer quoted deep within the article explains that these acts include “any form of communication,” and can relate to “serious domestic abuse-related crimes.” "

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/tommy-robinson-uk-speech-cla...

Yeah, not really online posts though is it.

Re: Britain to introduce compulsory digital ID for workers

#70

Post by rock_artist »

mrtksn wrote: post #38
remarkEon wrote: post #21

>The proposals are the government's latest bid to tackle illegal immigration, with the new ID being a form of proof of a citizen's right to live and work in the UK. How does a digital ID solve an illegal immigration problem? I watched the video and the suggestion is that this makes it easier for employers to verify that someone is authorized to work. Is that actually true? I don't live in the UK and have not visited…

The banks and service providers can ask for your digital ID, the employers can ask for your digital ID and when that becomes the standart you will have very hard time to have a life in UK without having all the permissions. Most of EU and many other countries have something like that, at least you have a citizenship or resident number that they can check against to see what's your situation. In UK though, everything…

> In UK though, everything is run over proof of address and it's quite annoying for new immigrants(legal or not) because its circular.

The circular issue is quite similar to Spain. Where in order to obtain residency you need an address. But for being able to rent, most likely you’ll need a bank account and ideally a Spanish identification number. But for having a local bank account you need an address.

Similar to the above. This needs to be broken in order to get residency.

Post reply on HN