UK to issue ID cards to foreigners from Nov.............

The UK Border Agency will begin issuing compulsory identity cards next month to foreign nationals seeking to remain in the UK, either as students or on the basis of marriage or partnership.

The cards will be issued to all foreign nationals from countries outside the European Economic Area (EEA) from Nov 25 this year, said a press statement issued by the local British High Commission.

"This is good news for Bangladeshis," the statement quoted Audrey Stocks, the British high commission's migration unit head, as saying.

"ID cards will simplify access to a range of services and actually make it easier for legitimate migrants to demonstrate their entitlements to live and work in the UK."

"Greater identity credibility for migrant workers is a distinct advantage", she said.

The ID cards will make it easier and quicker for employers and sponsors to check entitlement to work and study, says the UK, adding they can also be used if the holder wishes to open a bank account.

The holder is not required to carry their card at all times, but they may need to show it in order to access services and will need it to enter and leave the UK, the high commission statement said.

The new credit-card sized document will show the holder's photo, name, nationality, date and place of birth, and the type of visa issued.

Within three years, all those entering the UK on a visa for more than six months or extending their stay within the UK will have a card.

"It is estimated that by the end of 2014/15 about 90 percent of all foreign nationals will be issued with an ID card," said the statement.

A secure electronic chip will also hold the applicants' biometric details, including fingerprints and a digital facial image.

This is a sophisticated security safeguard to combat tampering - only authorised readers will be able to unlock the chip data.

Personal data will be held on existing UKBA systems that have been tried and tested