5:52pm Thursday 27th November 2008
By Tom Shepherd
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.
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