Djibouti
Identification; proof of citizenship; obtaining employment; registering for school; applying for benefits
Identity cards were established in Djibouti shortly before the country declared independence in 1977. On 8 December 2009, a new digital identity card was established by presidential decree; implementation of the digital identity card began in 2014. All pre-existing national identity cards were due to be exchanged for the digital version by the end of 2015.
Holding a national identity card is a prerequisite for registering to vote; citizens not in possession of identity cards are prohibited from obtaining a voter's card. The number of citizens of voting age who do not hold valid identity cards has not been established, but the nomadic population is at particular risk of disenfranchisement. Additionally, those without identity cards cannot apply for government benefits, which again disproportionately affects the nomadic population.
Playing the Identity Card: Surveillance, Security and Identification in Global Perspective, Routledge (2008)
Edited by Colin J. Bennett and David Lyon
Identifying Citizens: ID Cards as Surveillance, Polity (2009)
By David Lyon
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International Identity Cards Website by David Lyon and Colin Bennett is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 2.5 Canada License.