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Britain to introduce compulsory digital ID for workers

reuters.com

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Re: Britain to introduce compulsory digital ID for workers

#131

Post by arrowsmith »

pbhjpbhj wrote: post #112
arrowsmith wrote: post #86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

“Nothing much seems to be working” because the government is completely unserious about stopping the boats and is unwilling to do any of the things that might actually work. They could stop them in a week if they actually wanted to.

Legally and morally? What is your solution?

Stick them in processing centres until they can be deported. Send a clear message to anyone who might come that it won't work, you won't get in, we won't give you anything, don't risk your life or waste your money.

Australia did exactly this (in the face of howling opposition) and it worked: illegal boat arrivals dropped from ~20,000 per year to almost zero. Thousands of people used to drown attempting the crossing, now no-one drowns. There's your moral case.

Legally, Parliament is sovereign. If the current legal framework doesn't allow it, change the law. Except they won't, because they don't want to solve the problem and they use the law as an excuse as if they aren't the fucking government.

Re: Britain to introduce compulsory digital ID for workers

#132

Post by MrToadMan »

rich_sasha wrote: post #98
andyjohnson0 wrote: post #80

I didn't watch the video, but have read other reports, and it's worth noting that the context for this is the Labour Party conference, which starts on Sunday. The UK govt are under pressure from the tories and Reform to do something about people entering the UK from France by crossing the channel in small boats. Nothing much seems to be working. So this announcement is about trying to control the narrative by making…

The small boats crossing are a small fraction of immigration. Some Google number claims 37k people got in this way in 2024. With net migration hovering around 0.8-1m people per year, arrivals must be well above this number (surely some people are leaving, making the net number smaller). But even then, this is less than 5% of the legal immigration, and probably a lot less than that. I'm not saying it doesn't need addr…

Depends on if you are looking at this in terms of numbers of people or cost. The Home Office annual spend on processing asylum seekers has ballooned from just under £1 billion to near £5 billion in the space of 5 years, which is 1/3 of the estimated £14 billion raised from the unpopular National Insurance increase.

Re: Britain to introduce compulsory digital ID for workers

#133

Post by scott_w »

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.

My understanding is that it makes checking job eligibility easier, so enforcement of non compliance is easier.

A big source of illegal immigration is visa overstay (https://migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk/resources/briefings/un...), which ID can solve by tracking the visa status.

There are benefits to UK citizens, such as being easier to open a bank account and to comply with Voter ID laws.

Re: Britain to introduce compulsory digital ID for workers

#134

Post by Lio »

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…

I’m not sure how about illegal immigration but, coincidentally, it’s really handy for tracking people’s online activity when combined with the Online Safety Act.

You know, coincidentally.

(Oh, hold on I guess it helps with immigration numbers because people won’t want to put up with this bullshit.)

Re: Britain to introduce compulsory digital ID for workers

#135

Post by pbhjpbhj »

bumseltagbaerbi wrote: post #102

Vote Labour respectively a "people's worker party", get this.

ID cards were already brought in under Labour about 20 years ago - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10164331.

They would have allowed EU travel without a passport, but sadly didn't take off. Initially they would have incorporated driving licenses too - lots of people already carry a driver's license.

Ironically I've of the reasons for not having them, back in the noughties, was because it would target minorities.

Now, the right wing are beying for blood over immigration, national IDs do seems like they would reduce the ability of illegal immigrants to work/collect benefits. Tories left a massive immigration problem, exacerbated by Brexit.

Re: Britain to introduce compulsory digital ID for workers

#136

Post by MrToadMan »

Nursie wrote: post #27
isodev wrote: post #12

I’ve always lived in places where having an ID on you has been part of your “citizen responsibilities”. So reading the post my feeling was “oh cool, they’re getting a new eID-like system”. But I imagine it’s a huge step if folks could get by without an ID at all.

In the UK it has never been compulsory to carry ID, even when driving. At a traffic stop the police have the option to require you to present documents at a police station within seven days if they think something is fishy. And people do seem to exist quite happily without formal identification. As someone who has always had a passport and driving license it was a bit of an eye-opener to me, but if you don't drive an…

The UK did have compulsory ID cards, which needed to be carried at all times, during both World Wars.

Re: Britain to introduce compulsory digital ID for workers

#137

Post by keanb »

TheChaplain wrote: post #129
rich_sasha wrote: post #98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The small boats crossing are a small fraction of immigration. Some Google number claims 37k people got in this way in 2024. With net migration hovering around 0.8-1m people per year, arrivals must be well above this number (surely some people are leaving, making the net number smaller). But even then, this is less than 5% of the legal immigration, and probably a lot less than that. I'm not saying it doesn't need addr…

Uhm are you sure about those numbers? 0.8m is like on the average a whole county in the UK, and such massive influx would destroy the housing- and job market. Not to mention pressure on schools and healthcare.

What do you think is happening to those markets?

Re: Britain to introduce compulsory digital ID for workers

#138

Post by shortercode »

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…

Every job I’ve worked in the last 10 years has asked to see my passport so they can check I’m allowed to work in this country. I expect employers who aren’t checking don’t care, and digital ID isn’t going to change this.

Re: Britain to introduce compulsory digital ID for workers

#139

Post by hn_throw2025 »

octo888 wrote: post #88
Insanity wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In all fairness, the “immigration” story is likely just a convenient spin on a more realistic goal of state surveillance on it’s own citizens.

Never waste a good crisis

You are correct. The Identity Cards Act of 2006 was brought in by Blair’s Labour Government under the guise of preventing terrorism, the hot topic at the time. It was repealed by the incoming Tory/Liberal coalition under the Identity Documents Act 2010. Lobbying for Digital ID cards continued by the “Tony Blair Institute for Global Change” amongst others.

Re: Britain to introduce compulsory digital ID for workers

#140

Post by monerozcash »

shortercode wrote: post #138
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…

Every job I’ve worked in the last 10 years has asked to see my passport so they can check I’m allowed to work in this country. I expect employers who aren’t checking don’t care, and digital ID isn’t going to change this.

Yeah, and they'll accept any document you buy from the internet for 5 quid that vaguely resembles a passport.
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