ID cards phased out as travel document to ‘strengthen UK borders’

Many EU, EEA and Swiss citizens will now be required to show a valid passport to enter the UK as the government stops accepting national identity (ID) cards as a travel document.

The government says the change will prevent organised crime gangs and others who seek to abuse the system. ID cards are currently some of the most abused documents seen by Border Force officers, and almost half of all false documents detected at the border were EU, EEA or Swiss ID cards.

Home Secretary Priti Patel said: “The UK has a proud history of being open to the world, and Global Britain will continue in that tradition. But we must clamp down on the criminals that seek to enter our country illegally using forged documents.

“By ending the use of insecure ID cards we are strengthening our border and delivering on the people’s priority to take back control of our immigration system.

“We are doing this as part of our New Plan for Immigration, which will be firm on those who seek to abuse the system, and fair on those who play by the rules.”

Some ID cards do not have biometric data, making it easier to falsify the data recorded.

They are also more difficult to cross-reference with criminal record databases than passports.

Although a new ID card security standard is being introduced across the EU, cards will still be in circulation for the next 5 to 10 years which do not conform to these standards.

Inconsistencies in the design and security features of the cards make them easier to counterfeit than passports.

Those without a passport from 1 October are liable to be refused entry to the UK – although Border Force officers will retain the right to exercise discretion on individual cases.