I.D. Cards Unveiled

The first recipients of the I.D. cards to be introduced by the Government will be foreign nationals, and the design of the cards was finally unveiled on September 25th. To begin with the cards will be handed out to an expected 50,000 foreign nationals between March and November 2009 as they apply to extend their visas or for civil partnerships, according to the Guardian. Home Secretary Jacqui Smith, showing off an example of the baby pink and pale blue cards, has promised that they would ‘combat identity theft, help prevent illegal immigration and enable people to prove their identity more easily.’ After first introducing the cards amongst those in security sensitive roles, the Government plan to encourage young people to enrol in the scheme by 2010. It will not, however, be compulsory for the general population to sign up. The cards themselves are the size of a credit card and each I.D. card bears a digital image of the holder, their name, the place and date of the card’s issue, a signature and a unique identity number. For foreign nationals there is also a “type of permit” section showing the person’s visa category as well as a “valid until” date showing how long the holder has permission to stay in the UK. On the reverse, the card carries an electronic chip recording biometric details including fingerprints. The holder’s gender, date and place of birth and nationality are also recorded. One embedded background symbol is a royal crest, rather than the Union flag; the other is a bull meant to depict the form the Greek god Zeus took when he abducted Europa. There are numerous security features, incorporating raised numbers, optically variable ink which changes colour as the cards is tilted and a raised plant stem from which the UK’s national flowers – rose, thistle, daffodil and shamrock – grow. The final design of the I.D. card for UK citizens will be broadly similar but is likely to be in a different colour, may not have the EU bull motif and will dispense with several of the information categories specific to foreign nationals. David Davis, the former shadow Home Secretary, resigned over the issue of the I. D. card scheme. Speaking about the Government’s plans, Mr. Davis explained that ‘it is typical of this government to kick-start their misguided and intrusive I.D. scheme with students and foreigners – those who have no choice but to accept the cards. It marks the start of the introduction of compulsory ID cards for all by stealth.’

Ailsa Stanley

Tags: I. D. Cards