Gisela Stuart MPWorking hard for Bartley Green, Edgbaston, Harborne and Quinton

IDENTITY CARDS FOR FOREIGN NATIONALS // September 22nd, 2008 // Speeches, Articles and Interviews

The Government’s national identity scheme gives people for the first time the ability to prove who they are in a secure and convenient way, protecting themselves and their families against identity fraud, crime, illegal immigration, illegal working and terrorism.

The identity card for foreign nationals is the first part of the national identity scheme and will be rolled out over the next three years to all foreign nationals. From 25 November 2008, the Government will start issuing compulsory identity cards to foreign nationals who apply for further leave to remain in the United Kingdom within certain categories (student and marriages or civil partnerships). This will help keep our borders strong, and will provide additional protection against illegal immigration and illegal employment.

Identity cards for foreign nationals will build on existing safeguards which strengthen our borders, like fingerprint visa checks before people travel to the United Kingdom, a strong new force at the border and the future introduction of new technology to count people in and out of the country.

From November 2008, fingerprints and facial images will be captured at six centres around the United Kingdom as part of the process of making a decision about an individual’s right to be in the country.
Under the new points-based immigration system, businesses need to be issued with a sponsor licence before they can bring in any skilled foreign workers from outside the European Economic Area (EEA). Businesses found to be employing illegal workers with no right to work in the United Kingdom face fines and even a prison sentence.

For any employer who breaks the rules and employs foreign nationals with no right to work in the United Kingdom, the outcome is clear. Recent figures released by the Home Office show that between 29 February 2008 and the end of April 2008 the new regime of civil penalties has already seen 137 notices issued, equating to more than half a million pounds worth of fines.

Use of the identity card

The card provides evidence of the holder’s nationality, identity and status in the United Kingdom. It will provide information that will help public agencies; employers and educational establishments more easily understand the migrant’s entitlements. It will also be an additional simple means of confirming identity and right to work and access public services for individuals who have entered the United Kingdom. This will enable them to work or study legitimately under the Government’s new points-based system, which is being rolled out from this year.

Importance of the card

Taking an image of a person’s face and fingerprints and then locking them to that person’s details on a national register, provides a very safe and secure way of identifying that person and helps to combat illegal working and reduce illegal immigration to the United Kingdom. The card will provide a convenient, extremely secure and widely accepted way for any foreign national to prove their immigration status.

Checking the identity card

Employers will check the card visually. The applicants entitlement to work, study or access public funds will be captured on the card. There will be an employers’ verification service which can be used by organisations if they have concerns over the validity of the card.

Benefits of the card

The points-based system requires colleges, employers and others who benefit from migration to sponsor skilled or temporary migrants coming to the United Kingdom. They will need a licence to do so. The sponsor will have to keep proper records of the migrants they have sponsored. Sponsors will have to supply this information to the Home Office on request.

The identity card will help businesses reduce administrative burdens; make it easier for employers, sponsors and others to check entitlements and ensure those who are here illegally do not receive benefits and other privileges of living in the United Kingdom.

For the individual it will make it easier to provide proof of their right to live in the United Kingdom, prove their identity safely and quickly where and whenever required and to get a job - as potential employers can use the card to check future employees identity and employment status quickly and easily.

What changes will be involved with the introduction of the card?

The introduction of these cards does not require organisations to make changes to the checks they currently undertake for foreign nationals to be in the United Kingdom. It will replace existing vignettes and other immigration status documents which are not as secure as the new identity card.

Returning to the United Kingdom
When a foreign national, who has already been granted further leave to remain and is issued with an identity card, returns to the United Kingdom, they will be required to show their identity card at the border together with their national passport to confirm their immigration status. Checks at the border will include visual checks of the card, use of card readers and increasingly further biometric checks.
Who will be issued the card from November 2008?

From 25 November 2008, the issuing of identity cards will apply initially to non-EEA nationals who are granted further leave to remain under the student and marriage or civil partnership categories. Other applicants will still receive a vignette in their passport, resulting in both systems running in parallel in the first few years of the programme. By 2014-15 90% of foreign nationals will have an identity card.

Following the issuing of identity cards to foreign nationals, the national identity scheme roll-out will continue with identity cards for workers in sensitive roles and locations like airports next year. In 2010 voluntary identity cards will be offered to young people and in 2011-12, voluntary identity cards will be offered to large numbers of the British public.

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