A country loses its proof of ID

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-11565853

It seems like millions of other people the country of Fiji has lost its birth certificate. A document handed over when it was made independent 40 years ago has been lost and like any citizen in the UK they have had to go back to the central records office and ask for a replacement copy.

Now what sort of proof of ID would they need?

Well if it is anything like us it would be your date of birth, where you was born and a cheque for 15 pounds.

I have always wondered why when we hold our security of identity to sacred and we have so many hoops to go through to get even a job. That to get one of the pieces of ID is so easy to obtain. I could get the birth certificate of anyone by simply knowing their birthdate, where they was born and pay the cost of replacement. You will then have a full birth certificate which most jobs need as one of your proofs of ID you can then once you have a job go get a replacement national insurance number, saying you lost yours. You then get a bank account once you have a job and birth certificate and then the world is your oyster.

I wish they would make it a little more difficult to get a birth certificate or a little easier to get a passport. I had to go thru a humiliating nationality test when I have been in the UK all my life yet the walls were plastered in languages from around the world to help people to get a UK passport. Surely if English is not your mother tongue then that is a bit of give away you might not be totally British.

Rant over,

Wonders how much Fiji had to pay for the replacement? A lot more then 15 pounds I guess.