British citizens and permanent residents will have to produce a mandatory digital identification card in order to get work, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced Friday, reviving a contentious idea in an effort to show that the government has control of the country’s borders. The government says the plan will help reduce unauthorized immigration by making it harder for people to work in the underground economy. “You will not be able to work in the United Kingdom if you do not have digital ID. He said the new ID system would be in place before the next election, due by 2029. The government said the digital ID will be free and will work for people who don’t have a smartphone, and it will hold a public consultation to work out the details.

Source: The Times September 26, 2025 18:28 UTC