Staff at Home Office contractors sue over discrimination and unfair dismissal

Majority of cases are from escorts accompanying refugees from immigration centres for deportation

Dozens of security staff who detain and deport people for the Home Office are taking legal action over race, sex, disability discrimination and unfair dismissal, the Guardian has learned.

The detention and deportation officers work for Mitie Care & Custody, part of the company Mitie, which is one of the government's 40 strategic suppliers and has been awarded 400 contracts since 2015 valued at 2.55bn, according to the procurement analysts Tussell.