The UK government is preparing to launch a mandatory digital ID called the BritCard, designed to curb illegal immigration and modernise access to public services—but critics warn it risks creating a surveillance state and punishing vulnerable citizens.

The Prime Minister is expected to announce the plans in a speech today, with the cards set to be required for anyone to work or rent in the UK

Michelle O'Neill has called plans for a compulsory UK-wide digital ID scheme an attack on the Good Friday Agreement.

UK government plans to implement new digital ‘BritCard’ IDs has been met with fierce backlash online, with more than 130,000 people signing a petition.

Digital identity cards will be mandatory for every worker in the UK under new plans to be announced by prime minister Keir Starmer on Friday. The ‘BritCard’ is the Labour government’s latest attempt to crack down on illegal migration, designed to make it harder for people without the right to work to find employment.

After adding Montana last month, North Dakota is now the latest to join support for digital ID on Apple Wallet.

The so-called Brit-Card will apparently allow the verification of a citizen's right to live and work in the UK. Under the plans, anyone starting a new job or looking to rent a home would be required to show the card on a smartphone app. It would then be checked against a central database of people entitled to live and work in the UK.