Colin D Gordon

How do you prove who you are? For the British, a driving licence , a utility bill or even just a library card has traditionally been sufficient. That’s no longer enough for the Government. It’s pushing hard for a compulsory national identity card scheme, claiming that it will help counter terrorism and ‘benefit innocent people’. The public are unconvinced and don’t much like the anticipated cost (£4 billion) either, which is why it will probably all be postponed until after the next General Election (expected in 2010). A Parliamentary Select Committee Report published on June 9th (entitled ‘A Surveillance Society’) has sought assurances that the system ( along with the UK’s 4 million CCTV cameras) will not be used routinely to spy on people. ID’s in many other countries often have just a photo, names, date of birth and other basic information. The planned British one, however, will be packed full of  personal data –supposedly confidential but always at risk of falling into the wrong hands. This year, Government departments have ‘lost’ two discs containing sensitive details (such as National Insurance & Bank Account numbers) on half the UK population.

The British at least (theoretically) still have a choice. Non-EU foreign nationals entering or living in the country do not. As from November 2008 , they (and 200,000 airport workers) will be issued with biometric ID cards. An experimental ‘pilot process’ is already being operated by the newly-named ‘UK Border Agency.’  Any foreigner resident in the London area applying for an extension of stay can now be  summoned to the ‘Biometric Enrolment Office’ at Lunar House in Croydon. There they are required to provide their ‘unique biological characteristics’ such as DNA,Iris,a facial image and ten fingerprints. The UKBA make it clear that if they don’t turn up for the appointment or refuse the biometric test (even for philosophical reasons) they are unlikely to get their visa. The only consolation is that there are no additional fees, which (for the moment) remain £295 (by post) or £500 (in person).

These ID requirements will inevitably become an additional stress factor for many of the 380,000+ overseas students currently attending British Universities and Language Schools (and contributing over £6 billion to the UK economy). They generally have no idea how long they will be allowed to remain and sometimes even hesitate to go abroad on holiday for fear they won’t get back in. Obtaining a new visa frequently seems a question of good (or bad) luck. Tier 4 of the new ‘Points Based System ‘ ( beginning Spring 2009) is supposed to eliminate this element of uncertainty. Getting into the country will no longer depend on the subjective opinion of an Entry Clearance Officer (ECO) at the British Embassy.  Accredited Colleges and Schools will become ‘Sponsors’ and will have to vouch for their students’ ability and intention to follow their course. Their appointed ‘Authorising Officer’ (AO) will also have to report to UKBA any student absent (without ‘reasonable permission’) for more than 10 working days and those who have not turned up at all for class. A Confirmation of Acceptance of Study (CAS) will cost (an estimated) £10.A Student Visa: £99.

The new rules (according to Universities UK) will cause a massive increase in administrative costs. Institutions inadvertently failing in their sponsorship duties ‘risk having their licences withdrawn’. Some Language Schools view the ‘PBS’ as a positive move. In reality, no-one knows yet if it will have a beneficial or adverse impact on enrolments. It is hoped that a Government ‘Statement of Intent’ due by the autumn will provide much-needed clarification.

Comments are closed.