Britain set to require government-issued digital ID cards for all residents, PM to announce at Labour conference

The government is preparing to require every adult in Britain to hold a digital ID card as part of a new scheme to curb illegal migration. The prime minister is expected to announce the mandatory identification system for all British residents at Labour's annual conference in Liverpool.

If enacted, the scheme would require individuals starting a new job or renting a property to show their digital ID so it can be checked against a central database. Currently, employees and renters can present a variety of physical IDs, but officials say those forms can be forged more easily than a digital credential.

Civil liberties group Big Brother Watch commissioned polling found that 63 percent of Britons do not trust the government to keep personal information secure, highlighting privacy concerns surrounding a central data repository. The plan would apply to all residents and would be tied to checks for employment and housing eligibility. Officials say the objective is to curb illegal migration, but critics warn of privacy risks and the potential for misuse in a centralized identity system.

Details on how data would be stored, protected, and governed, as well as enforcement timelines, are expected to be released at the Labour conference and in subsequent policy documents. In the meantime, civil liberties advocates have urged policymakers to publish full privacy safeguards and independent oversight mechanisms. This development places the United Kingdom at the center of a global discussion about digital IDs and their implications for civil rights and border control.