The government should introduce digital identity cards to deter migrants coming to the UK illegally, former Labour minister Harriet Harman has told Sky News.
Baroness Harman told Beth Rigby on the Electoral Dysfunction podcast one of the country’s “pull factors” is the fact people arriving on small boats can easily work illegally.
She said having digital ID cards would “make it even more difficult for people to work illegally”.
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The Labour peer, who was a minister under Sir Tony Blair and interim party leader in 2015, said she does not see ID cards as a way of “stopping people doing things” – although she said: “It is important to stop people working illegally.”
It could also be used to check people’s eligibility to vote, so they do not have to go through the “difficulties of registering to vote”, she said.
She admitted her view on ID cards may be seen as “politically incorrect”, with the issue dividing Labour MPs.
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However, Sir Tony has been a long-time supporter and more than 40 Labour MPs from three groups on Tuesday urged ministers to introduce digital IDs to help control the migration system and improve public services.
“I think now with the digital situation, and people have so much digital ID – I mean, it depends on whether or not you think the state is going to actually overstep the mark and oppress people,” Baroness Harman said.
“But I think there are things that the government has to do that people want them to do, which digital ID will enable them to do.”
The Home Office is currently rolling out eVisas for all people in the UK on a visa and is creating new digital systems for checking visa compliance.
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Last month, Downing Street said the government is exploring introducing a “BritCard” for all citizens after the Labour Together thinktank proposed one to stop people overstaying their visas, exploitative work and rogue landlords.
A paper from the group said it would cost up to £400m to build a system and around £10m a year to administer as a free-to-use phone app.
