As part of the Securing Our Island Strategy the public were asked to help shape proposals for all passengers to carry ID when travelling with the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company (IOMSPCo).
Taking steps to verify the identity of travellers, including at the point of travel, would make it harder for criminals or their assets to move to and from the Island. It was one of the commitments set out in the strategy, which has three main aims to improve safety – Prevent, Protect, Pursue.
The current proposal is to require all passengers to carry valid photo ID, with proportionate verification checks by staff. The consultation focussed on whether there should be any exemptions to this and what forms of ID should be accepted.
Introducing proportionate ID checks will help strengthen the Island’s defences against organised crime by making it harder to travel anonymously or under false details, improve passenger data accuracy, and align with security practices found elsewhere in the Common Travel Area.
1,419 responses were received during the seven-week consultation. More than three-quarters of respondents believed the measures would directly help to reduce crime.
There was strong support for passports, driving licences and other government-issued photographic identification as acceptable forms of ID. The strongest themes for exemptions were for children/minors and emergency or medical travel.
The main concerns raised were about delays and queueing, as well as operational concerns like staff training, with clear requests for any implementation plans to include early communication and a phased introduction or ‘grace period’.
The Department of Home Affairs will now use the results to inform its conversations with the IOMSPCo on the next steps, including the development of clear guidance on how ID verification will work and acceptable forms of identification.
Exemption options for children, vulnerable groups and medical travel will also be explored to ensure any measures are practical, fair and proportionate.
There is currently no set date for this to happen; updates will follow as the project progresses.
The full consultation results have been published on the Consultation Hub.
