LONDON: UK Prime Minister Keith Starmer on Friday announced plans to introduce free digital ID for both nationals and those residing in the country in a bid to curb illegal migration.
The government said the drive will also make it simpler to apply for services like driving licenses, childcare and welfare, while streamlining access to tax records.
The new digital ID will be held on people’s phones and there will be no requirement for individuals to carry their ID or be asked to produce it, said the government.
However, it will be “mandatory as a means of proving your right to work,” a statement said.
“This will stop those with no right to be here from being able to find work, curbing their prospect of earning money, one of the key ‘pull factors’ for people who come to the UK illegally,” it added.
The announcement comes as Labour, the party in government, prepares to hold its annual conference, with Starmer under intense pressure, particularly over immigration.
“Digital ID is an enormous opportunity for the UK... it will also offer ordinary citizens countless benefits,” Starmer said.
“We are doing the hard graft to deliver a fairer Britain for those who want to see change, not division,” he added.
The UK has traditionally resisted the idea of identity cards, but more recent polling suggests support for the move.
![]()
UK to launch digital ID scheme to curb illegal migration
Short Url
https://arab.news/64kcq
UK to launch digital ID scheme to curb illegal migration
- The government said the drive will also make it simpler to apply for services like driving licenses, childcare and welfare, while streamlining access to tax records
Russian drones, missiles hit railway hub near Ukraine’s capital, railway says
KYIV: A railway hub near Kyiv was attacked during a large-scale Russian drone and missile attack that damaged the depot and railway carriages, Ukrainian state railway company Ukrzaliznytsia said on Saturday.
The railway did not report any casualties from the overnight attack in the town of Fastiv.
Russia has intensified its attacks on Ukraine’s energy sector and infrastructure in recent weeks, targeting power stations and railway hubs.
Ukrzaliznytsia said on the Telegram messaging app that it was forced to cancel several suburban trains near the capital and the city of Chernihiv in northeastern Ukraine.
Emergency services reported a fire and destruction on the territory of the railway station and depot but gave no more details. The report also cited an attack on infrastructure in the Chernihiv region.
Power and heat generation facilities in Chernihiv, Zaporizhzhia, Lviv, and Dnipropetrovsk regions were targeted in the attack, Ukraine’s ministry for development of communities and territories said.
It said on Telegram that 9,500 customers remained without heat and 34,000 without water supply in the southern Odesa region.
“Port facilities (in Odesa) have also been attacked: part of the infrastructure has been de-energised, and operators have switched to backup power from generators,” the ministry said.
The ministry also reported damages to energy infrastructure in the Kyiv region.
The railway did not report any casualties from the overnight attack in the town of Fastiv.
Russia has intensified its attacks on Ukraine’s energy sector and infrastructure in recent weeks, targeting power stations and railway hubs.
Ukrzaliznytsia said on the Telegram messaging app that it was forced to cancel several suburban trains near the capital and the city of Chernihiv in northeastern Ukraine.
Emergency services reported a fire and destruction on the territory of the railway station and depot but gave no more details. The report also cited an attack on infrastructure in the Chernihiv region.
Power and heat generation facilities in Chernihiv, Zaporizhzhia, Lviv, and Dnipropetrovsk regions were targeted in the attack, Ukraine’s ministry for development of communities and territories said.
It said on Telegram that 9,500 customers remained without heat and 34,000 without water supply in the southern Odesa region.
“Port facilities (in Odesa) have also been attacked: part of the infrastructure has been de-energised, and operators have switched to backup power from generators,” the ministry said.
The ministry also reported damages to energy infrastructure in the Kyiv region.
Latest updates
© 2025 SAUDI RESEARCH & PUBLISHING COMPANY, All Rights Reserved And subject to Terms of Use Agreement.