Thursday, 25 Jan 2007 08:50
NO2ID: ID cards won't stop illegal immigration
Friday, 26, Jan 2007 12:00
Anti-identity card campaigners NO2ID have condemned the new UK borders bill as "theatrical" and said it will not tackle illegal immigration.
The new bill will require all non-EEA foreigners resident in Britain to apply for a biometric identity card and could be fined and deported if they fail to.
General secretary Guy Herbert said the proposal was "nasty and it's stupid" and would deter "talented foreigners who are earning and spending money that keeps the Treasury afloat".
"Will Roman Abramovich take kindly to reporting his whereabouts to the authorities, or will that feel a little too much like home?” he asked.
National coordinator Phil Booth said: "Clearly desperate to give the appearance of being tough on illegal immigration, what this actually amounts to is diverting another bit of the Home Office budget to build the biometric bit of the ID database."