Compulsory ID cards in the Netherlands: 50,000 fined for not carrying ID
In the Netherlands, since 1st January 2005, it has been compulsory for people to carry either a passport, driving licence or a national identity card. The No2ID News Blog comments on a report by the Telegraph, about how 50,000 people have so far been fined €50 for not carrying the cards:
The Dutch experience also begs the question - aside from the 50,000 guilty of a crime that didn’t exist a year ago, how many terrorists, fraudsters or other baddies has their ID scheme discovered or convicted?
It is worth noting that Spain also had compulsory ID cards and this did not prevent the Madrid bombings.