New ID card for foreigners unveiled

The new identity card for foreign workers has been unveiled by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith.

It is blue and pink, credit card-sized and carries the royal crest and four flowers representing the nations of the UK: the rose, the thistle, the daffodil and the shamrock.

The cards, which will be issued to foreign workers from November, will display the individual's name, their photograph, the card's expiry date and details of how long they can stay and work in the country.

On the back it will also show their date and place of birth, their gender, nationality, and whether they are entitled to benefits.

Biometric data, including copies of the person's fingerprints, will be stored on a special security chip.

Ms Smith said the cards would protect against identity fraud, illegal working, and help people prove their identity easily.

She said: "Many people want securely and quickly to be able to prove their identity and want to be able to check people are who they say they are."

Between 50,000 and 60,000 cards will be issued by the end of next March and ministers predict one million a year will be issued from 2010.

The cards will be compulsory for foreign workers, who will have their fingerprints and photographs taken at six ID card centres in Croydon, Sheffield, Glasgow, Liverpool, Birmingham and Cardiff when they renew their visas.

The first phase of the scheme will also target people suspected of abusing the immigration system, such as foreign students and people claiming the right to stay through marriage.
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