Recommendation 5

The Department is unprepared for the challenges the UK’s exit from the EU presents to its immigration enforcement operations. The Department relies on cooperation with EU partners to support its international operations, including the return of foreign national offenders and individuals who arrive in the UK illegally via EU transport hubs. It would like this cooperation to continue after the end of the transition period for the UK’s departure from the EU but showed a worrying lack of urgency about securing the necessary agreements. When we took evidence in mid- July, the Department provided no evidence that it had begun discussions with EU partners or internally to prepare for the possible impact these changes may have on its operations. Without putting new arrangements in place successfully, there is a real risk that EU exit will actually make it more difficult to remove foreign national offenders and those who try to enter the country illegally. Recommendation: The Department urgently needs to develop a forward plan and put in place actions to mitigate the risks to its work with EU partners. This should include consideration of reciprocal arrangements for: • immigration staff working in other countries; • the return of offenders, from the UK to EU member states and vice versa, following the end of transition period; and • the return of individuals who attempt to enter the UK with false documents or by clandestine means from an EU country, or indeed those who enter EU countries from the UK.