Recommendation 7

The Department described the different forms of harm that occur from immigration crime. These include criminal harm by foreign national offenders against their victims and society, and the harm organised crime groups commit against society and vulnerable people. It also includes the financial harm to legitimate UK employers of competitors employing people illegally and harm caused to taxpayer-funded public services by people attempting to use them illegally.10 The Department acknowledged that the vast majority of illegal immigrants do not cause direct harm to the public, but can cause harm to the wider economy.11 In response to a recommendation in the NAO’s report, the Department told us it was reviewing whether its use of the concepts of risk, threat and harm was consistent.12