Home Office must ‘urgently reconsider’ decision to award removal centre contract to Serco, say MPs

Exclusive: Politicians express ‘extreme concern’ at decision to grant management of Gatwick removal centres to private firm that has ‘demonstrated itself to be an untrustworthy contractor’ in the past

Ministers announced last week that Serco, which already runs Yarl’s Wood detention centre, will take over Brook House and Tinsley House – currently run by G4S – from May 2020 until 2028 (Getty)

MPs have called on the Home Office to urgently reconsider its decision to award scandal-hit firm Serco with a contract to run two immigration removal centres.

Ministers announced last week that Serco, which already runs Yarl’s Wood detention centre, will take over Brook House and Tinsley House – currently run by G4S – from May 2020 until 2028.

The decision prompted outrage from campaigners who said it was wrong for the company to be awarded contracts to run detention centres despite “obviously having failed to protect people in their custody” in the past, including a string of sexual abuse scandals in Yarl’s Wood.