British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced the introduction of compulsory digital ID cards on Friday (September 26) for people who work in the UK, a measure to tackle illegal immigration and maintain control over borders.

"You will not be able to work in the United Kingdom if you do not have digital ID. It's as simple as that," Starmer said during a keynote address during the 2025 Global Progress Action Summit, in London.

The policy, which he said would be required by the end of the current parliament, aims to address concerns about illegal workers in the shadow economy and maintain fairness in the immigration system.

Immigration has become the dominant political issue in Britain, eclipsing concerns over a faltering economy, as the country faces a record number of asylum claims. More than 28,000 migrants have arrived in small boats across the English Channel so far this year and over 32,000 migrants are housed in hotels across the country, according to figures up to the end of June.

Hundreds of thousands of people joined an anti-immigration march through London in September carrying flags of England and Britain and scuffling with police in one of the UK's biggest right-wing demonstrations of modern times.

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LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (SEPTEMBER 26, 2025) (UK POOL - Broadcast: No use UK. Digital: No use UK, except UK newspapers)

1. BRITISH PRIME MINISTER KEIR STARMER WALKING ON STAGE TOWARDS PODIUM

2. STARMER GIVING KEYNOTE ADDRESS

3. (SOUNDBITE) (English) BRITISH PRIME MINISTER, KEIR STARMER, SAYING:

"And that is why today I am announcing this government will make a new, free-of-charge digital ID mandatory for the right to work by the end of this parliament. Let me spell that out. You will not be able to work in the United Kingdom if you do not have digital ID. It's as simple as that. Because decent, pragmatic, fair-minded people, they want us to tackle the issues that they see around them. And of course the truth is we won't solve our problems if we don't also take on the root causes."

4. AUDIENCE LISTENING TO STARER

5. (SOUNDBITE) (English) BRITISH PRIME MINISTER, KEIR STARMER, SAYING:

"For too many years, it's been too easy for people to come here, slip into the shadow economy, and remain here illegally. Because, frankly, we've been squeamish about saying things that are clearly true. It's not just that it's not compassionate left-wing politics to rely on labour that exploits foreign workers and undercuts fair wages. But the simple fact that every nation needs to have control over its borders. We do need to know who is in our country. Our immigration system does need to be fair if we want to maintain that binding contract that our politics is built on. Otherwise, it undermines trust, undermines people's faith that we're on their side, and their belief that the state can and will work for them."

6. STARMER GIVING KEYNOTE ADDRESS