As governments race to digitise public services, digital identity systems are increasingly framed as efficient, modern, and inevitable.
The United Kingdom (UK) is no exception. Recent policy directions under Prime Minister Keir Starmer point towards expanded use of digital identity and digital-only immigration status systems in visas, right to work checks, and access to housing.
While this debate may seem distant, it should matter greatly to Kenyan students considering the UK as a study destination. The issue is not technology. The issue is what these systems are designed to do and who they are designed for.
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The UK does not yet have a single national mandatory digital ID. However, immigration and residency status for many migrants and international students already exists primarily in digital form. Physical documents are increasingly being replaced by online status checks.
In theory, this improves efficiency. In practice, it concentrates power in databases. When systems work perfectly, digital identity feels seamless. When they fail, the consequences are immediate and personal. Students have reported difficulties proving lawful status, delays in accessing housing and problems securing part-time employment because the system could not verify them correctly. In such cases, there is no physical document to rely on, only a digital record that may be incomplete, inaccurate, or temporarily unavailable.
Modern data protection frameworks emphasise fairness, accuracy, accountability and respect for individuals’ rights. When a digital system determines whether someone can work, rent a home, or continue studying, these principles are not abstract legal ideas; they are practical necessities.
A system that is digital only, difficult to correct and heavily automated places international students in a vulnerable position, especially when they lack local support networks or familiarity with complex administrative processes. Errors that might be minor inconveniences for citizens can become existential barriers for migrants and students.
One of the most troubling outcomes of digital immigration checks in the UK has been indirect discrimination. Faced with complex digital verification requirements, some landlords and employers choose the safest route, which is avoiding anyone who appears “foreign” or whose status might require additional checks.
This is not always driven by prejudice. It is driven by system design. When systems shift risk from institutions to individuals, exclusion becomes a rational response. When exclusion becomes widespread, equality before the law is quietly undermined.
The UK remains a top destination for Kenyan students, representing opportunity, global exposure, and professional growth. Studying abroad is a major investment both financially and personally. Students do not migrate to navigate fragile digital systems. They migrate to learn, contribute and build futures. Any policy that places their education, housing, or work prospects at the mercy of malfunctioning or inflexible digital identity infrastructure deserves scrutiny.
Digital transformation is necessary. Kenya itself is rapidly digitising public services, but the UK experience offers a warning that technology cannot compensate for poor governance choices. Digital systems should reduce dependency, not increase vulnerability.
They should make institutions more accountable, not harder to reach. For Kenyan students looking to the UK, this debate is not an abstract policy. It is about whether digital progress will serve them or silently exclude them.
Ms Kemunto is a tech law graduate from the University of Exeter with a focus on data protection, digital governance and systems accountability
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As governments race to digitise public services, digital identity systems are increasingly framed as efficient, modern, and inevitable.
The United Kingdom (UK) is no exception. Recent policy directions under Prime Minister Keir Starmer point towards expanded use of digital identity and digital-only immigration status systems in visas, right to work checks, and access to housing.
While this debate may seem distant, it should matter greatly to Kenyan students considering the UK as a study destination. The issue is not technology. The issue is what these systems are designed to do and who they are designed for.
Follow The Standard
channel
on WhatsApp
The UK does not yet have a single national mandatory digital ID. However, immigration and residency status for many migrants and international students already exists primarily in digital form. Physical documents are increasingly being replaced by online status checks.
In theory, this improves efficiency. In practice, it concentrates power in databases. When systems work perfectly, digital identity feels seamless. When they fail, the consequences are immediate and personal. Students have reported difficulties proving lawful status, delays in accessing housing and problems securing part-time employment because the system could not verify them correctly. In such cases, there is no physical document to rely on, only a digital record that may be incomplete, inaccurate, or temporarily unavailable.
Modern data protection frameworks emphasise fairness, accuracy, accountability and respect for individuals’ rights. When a digital system determines whether someone can work, rent a home, or continue studying, these principles are not abstract legal ideas; they are practical necessities.
A system that is digital only, difficult to correct and heavily automated places international students in a vulnerable position, especially when they lack local support networks or familiarity with complex administrative processes. Errors that might be minor inconveniences for citizens can become existential barriers for migrants and students.
One of the most troubling outcomes of digital immigration checks in the UK has been indirect discrimination. Faced with complex digital verification requirements, some landlords and employers choose the safest route, which is avoiding anyone who appears “foreign” or whose status might require additional checks.
This is not always driven by prejudice. It is driven by system design. When systems shift risk from institutions to individuals, exclusion becomes a rational response. When exclusion becomes widespread, equality before the law is quietly undermined.
The UK remains a top destination for Kenyan students, representing opportunity, global exposure, and professional growth. Studying abroad is a major investment both financially and personally. Students do not migrate to navigate fragile digital systems. They migrate to learn, contribute and build futures. Any policy that places their education, housing, or work prospects at the mercy of malfunctioning or inflexible digital identity infrastructure deserves scrutiny.
Digital transformation is necessary. Kenya itself is rapidly digitising public services, but the UK experience offers a warning that technology cannot compensate for poor governance choices. Digital systems should reduce dependency, not increase vulnerability.
They should make institutions more accountable, not harder to reach. For Kenyan students looking to the UK, this debate is not an abstract policy. It is about whether digital progress will serve them or silently exclude them.
Ms Kemunto is a tech law graduate from the University of Exeter with a focus on data protection, digital governance and systems accountability
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By Gladys Kemunto Kinara