Your Oxford
Get involved: send your photos, videos, news & views by texting 'OXFORD NEWS' to 80360 or email »
ID cards 'will hit us all'
5:52pm Thursday 27th November 2008
Comments (6)Campaigners in Oxfordshire last night said the Government’s scheme to introduce identity cards for foreign nationals treated immigrants as “criminal suspects”.
From Tuesday, the Home Office began issuing ID cards to people from outside the European Economic Area.
Local members of campaign group NO2ID warned the roll-out would have a detrimental effect on cities like Oxford, in particular.
Chairman Chris Rimmer, from Kennington, said: “First affected will be students and people marrying Britons.
“The plan is that gradually residents from outside Europe will be fingerprinted and will have to account for their movements.
“It’s unlikely to put off refugees and the poor unskilled with nothing to lose, but successful foreigners and overseas students at Oxford’s universities and colleges have a lot of choice where they study.
“Some will decide Britain has become too unfriendly.
“When the USA introduced more hostile visa conditions three or four years ago, the numbers applying to study from abroad fell by 15 per cent, and Bill Gates complained that Microsoft could no longer hire the best software engineers.”
He added: “If the scheme is continued it will lead to less fee-income and lower international status for Oxford as a centre of education.
“British students will have to pay higher tuition to make up the difference and have less money to spend with local businesses.
“Oxford will suffer culturally and economically.
“We should treat these people as guests, not criminal suspects.”
The first ID cards will be issued to students and the husbands, wives and partners of permanent residents who apply for permission to extend their stay.
The Government estimates that by April 2015, 90 per cent of all foreign nationals living in the UK will have the cards.
The Tories dismissed the cards, which contain the fingerprints, name, date-of-birth, nationality and the person's right to be in the UK, as an expensive gimmick.
Ministers predict that between 50,000 and 60,000 cards will be issued by the end of March.
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said: “In time, identity cards for foreign nationals will replace paper documents and give employers a safe and secure way of checking a migrant’s right to work and study in the UK.”
But shadow home secretary Dominic Grieve said: “It’s a gimmick with a price.
“While these cards won’t stop illegal immigration or terrorism, they will land the taxpayer with a multi-billion pound bill.”
In Oxford, city councillors David Williams, Mark Mills, Stuart McCready have all publicly backed the campaign group NO2ID.
Your Say YourThe Oxford Times
Quentin Walker, Oxford says...
8:26pm Thu 27 Nov 08
Quentin Walker, Oxford says...
8:30pm Thu 27 Nov 08
And Kermit The Frog backed the Muppet Show.
beetle & wedge, Chippy says...
7:56am Fri 28 Nov 08
Zimmer, Oxon says...
8:18am Fri 28 Nov 08
I do not think the ID route is the correct one and it will prove to be worthless piece of plastic, for a start what is the chance that you will be asked to produce one in day to day activities- none.
bagsie, Headington says...
10:53am Fri 28 Nov 08
Chris Rimmer with spoof ID card
In this section
Sponsored Links
Local Advertisers
Local Information
Enter your postcode, town or place name
DanOxford, Oxford says...
6:31pm Thu 27 Nov 08
HOWEVER- something MUST be done about the estimated 700,000 people in the UK illegally.
EVERY illegal immigrant is a criminal- that's what 'illegal' means.
As for foreign students, it's been well established that many are nothing of the sort and often there is no real college to attend- it's a sham for a student visa and once in, they quietly disappear into the black economy.
The genuine ones won't mind filling in the paperwork for a place to study in the UK- just as genuine spouses won't mind jumping through a few hoops if they really are intending to spend the rest of their life with their UK spouse.
When the hand- wringing do gooders fail to find ANY legitimate justification for open door immigration and 'soft touch' Britain, they wheel out nonsense such as 'enrichment' and 'cultural diversity'.
Oxford’s got enough students (foreign and home grown) and it’s been proven that mass immigration has contributed zero to the overall economy while lowering wages, straining public services, reducing training, increasing HIV and TB infections and causing communities to be unsettled or undermined.
The Liberal Left need to start coming up with some REAL justifications for policies that have affected us all while benefiting few.
I agree that we should treat people as guests- but when they don’t leave when they’re supposed to; when they don’t pay their way; when they demand that our way of life changes; when they place a strain on us- it’s time to politely ask them to move on.