Starmer says people will not be able to work in UK without digital ID
8 hours ago
- #UK immigration
- #informal economy
- #digital ID
- The UK government plans to introduce digital ID cards to tackle illegal working.
- The informal economy, operating outside official employment and tax systems, attracts people to the UK without legal permission.
- Prime Minister Keir Starmer believes removing this 'pull factor' could deter irregular journeys like small boat crossings.
- Official figures show 49,341 people were detected entering the UK without permission in the year to June 2025, a 27% increase.
- Nearly 90% of these were small boat arrivals, while others hid in vehicles or arrived by air.
- The Home Office states it's impossible to know the total number of unauthorized individuals in the UK.
- Some estimates suggest the informal economy could include hundreds of thousands, but reliable data is difficult to obtain.