Britain began issuing its first ID cards to foreign nationals Monday as a way to allow them to easily and securely prove their identities, the Home Office said.

The cards contain personal details, fingerprints and a facial image that can be used also to identify illegal workers, the Home Office said in a news release.

Britain also will launch a new point-based system for foreign workers later this week. Under the system, companies will be required to pass a resident labor market test that shows whether or not they can find qualified British workers for their jobs.

The government believes that the ID cards will improve immigration controls, reduce identity abuse and also prevent illegal migrants from benefiting from the privileges of living in Britain.

Identity card centers for foreign nationals will open across the country over the next three weeks, including in Cardiff, Glasgow, Sheffield, Solihull, Liverpool and Northern Ireland.

The ID cards will be mandatory for all foreign nationals and will provide a simple, secure means of proving to businesses their right to work. Companies will have to keep records of the migrants they have sponsored, including their contact details and a copy of their ID card.

Beginning in Croydon, to the south of London, the first identity cards will be issued to people wishing to remain in Britain as a student or based on marriage.

It is estimated that by the end of 2014 or 2015, about 90 percent of all foreign nationals will have been issued an ID card.

From this Thursday, employers who have registered with the UK Border Agency will be able to bring in migrant workers from outside the European Economic Area (EEA).

"The first identity cards for foreign nationals along with the launch of the point-based system demonstrate our commitment to preventing immigration abuse and protecting the prosperity of the UK," said Home Secretary Jacqui Smith.

ID cards for foreign nationals will replace paper documents and give employers a secure way of checking a migrant's right to work and study in Britain, she said.

"The Australian-style points system will ensure only those we need, and no more, can come here. It is also flexible, allowing us to raise or lower the bar according to the needs of business and taking population trends into account," Smith said.

From now on, recruitment professionals will play an increasingly pivotal role in checking the identity, background and status of job seekers, whereas colleges will be able to enroll genuine students and weed out ID fraud.

The new point-based system will ensure British job-seekers get the first shot at jobs and that only those foreign workers needed will be able to come to the country.

In addition, those who briefly travel to Britain primarily for non-economic reasons, such as sports people, entertainers and charity workers, will be assessed outside of the points system, under visitor visa rules.

The first ID cards are being issued to people applying to remain in Britain as students or based on marriage. The cards will be issued to British workers in sensitive roles and locations in 2009 and to young people in 2010.

(Xinhua News Agency November 26, 2008)