SCANDAL-HIT outsourcing firm Serco will take over from G4S to run two Gatwick immigration removal centres (IRCs), the government announced today.

A number of male members of Serco staff at Yarl’s Wood IRC —where the vast majority of those held are women detained indefinitely — have faced allegations of sexual abuse and mistreatment of asylum seekers.

Serco will now also run Brook House and Tinsley House IRCs from May 21 this year until 2028, after G4S decided not to renew the contracts.

Labour MP for Streatham Bell Ribeiro-Addy tweeted: “The government has just given disgraced outsourcing giant Serco a multimillion pound contract.

“Just last year the company was fined for serious fraud against the taxpayer. It already runs some of the most inhumane UK detention centres and asylum accommodation including Yarl’s Wood.”

Toufique Hossain, Director of public law and immigration at Duncan Lewis Solicitors, said: “Let’s not forget what vulnerable women described as ‘hell on earth’ in relation to Serco-run Yarl’s Wood.

“Let’s not forget the Channel 4 documentary filming staff at Serco-run Yarl’s Wood referring to female detainees as ‘animals,’ ‘beasties’ and ‘bitches’.”

Last year Serco was fined £19 million after it overcharged the government for carrying out electronic tagging, which prompted an audit of its contracts.

Two of its former directors — Nicholas Woods and Simon Marshall —  are due to stand trial next year, accused of fraud and false accounting in representations made to the Ministry of Justice between 2011 and 2013.

G4S remains under investigation by the Serious Fraud Office for its role in the Serco electronic-tagging scandal.