ID Cards Won’t Stop the Boats — Just Fool the Voters
Starmer’s digital ID plan is political theatre — migration rises, costs soar, freedoms shrink.
Keir Starmer has now admitted what Emmanuel Macron let slip back in July: the UK is looking at digital ID cards. The new Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, is on board.
But here’s the truth: ID cards won’t stop the boats. They won’t stop overstayers. And they won’t fix a broken asylum system. What they will do is give government more control over ordinary citizens — while fooling voters into thinking something’s being done.
The Numbers Starmer Won’t Talk About
So far this year, 31,016 people have crossed the Channel in small boats — a 38% increase on last year. An ID card won’t stop a dinghy.
The UK received 111,000 asylum claims in the year to June 2025 — the highest on record.
Applicants came from 175 different countries.
The top nationality was Pakistan, with around 11,234 claims. But here’s the key point: very few Pakistanis arrived by boat.
Instead, 93% applied in-country, after entering legally on visas (student, visitor, work). Only 7% claimed asylum at the border.
I broke this down in detail in my piece here: 👉 Pakistan tops UK asylum claims — most arrived legally
These are the real problems. And ID cards don’t touch any of them.
Why Digital ID Cards Miss the Mark
Visa overstayers won’t be stopped by a new card.
Illegal work thrives on cash-in-hand. Employers ignoring the law already won’t suddenly comply.
Smuggling gangs don’t respect paperwork. They exploit weak enforcement.
If people are already breaking immigration law, they aren’t queueing up for ID cards.
The Real Risk: Control Over Citizens
If ID cards won’t solve illegal migration, what will they do? They’ll expand government power.
Data grab: A single digital ID could link your tax, health, banking and travel records.
Mission creep: Ministers might say it’s “just for immigration” — but once built, the system can easily expand to jobs, benefits, healthcare, even voting.
Surveillance state: Britain already has more CCTV per head than almost anywhere else. Add digital IDs and the state gains another layer of control.
Costly distraction: Vast IT projects in the UK are notorious for spiralling costs. Billions could be wasted while the migration crisis continues.
The Free Speech Warning
This push for digital ID doesn’t happen in isolation. It comes alongside a wider government crackdown on free speech.
The Online Safety Act gives Ofcom sweeping powers to censor the internet. Platforms face fines of up to 10% of global turnover if they fail to remove content — even lawful content that might be deemed “harmful.” Entire websites or apps can be blocked. Senior tech bosses can even face criminal charges.
The effect is obvious: platforms over-censor to avoid punishment. Lawful speech is suppressed.
Read my full breakdown here: Online Safety Act: Ofcom Fines Begin, Free Speech Ends
Now imagine this linked to digital ID — forcing people to verify identity before posting online. The chilling effect on free speech would be enormous.
Macron, Starmer and Political Theatre
When Macron said Britain was “moving towards ID cards,” it was treated like a diplomatic aside. Now, weeks later, Starmer and Mahmood are presenting it as policy.
But this isn’t leadership. It’s theatre. A gimmick to get headlines, while doing nothing to solve the crisis.
The Bottom Line
You can’t ID someone who doesn’t want to be found.
You can’t stop illegal work by handing out plastic cards.
ID cards won’t stop the boats. They’ll just fool the voters into thinking something’s being done.
The country deserves better.
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