HOME OFFICE plans to outsource asylum interviews to a private contractor were branded “dangerous” by refugee charities yesterday.  

The government department said that it was considering handing over the interview and evidence-gathering process to a third party to cope with a growing number of asylum applications. 

Firms in the running for the contract include G4S, Capita, Mitie, Sopra Steria and Serco, all privateers embroiled in a number of scandals over the handling of detention centres. 

The shocking proposal was revealed in a circular from the Home Office team that processes refugee claims. 

It states that one of the companies will be chosen to run a pilot programme involving real asylum claims for six to eight weeks. 

The Home Office will still make the final decision on the asylum claim, although the contractor will be responsible for conducting interviews and gathering evidence. 

The Immigration Law Practitioners Association described the idea as “extremely concerning.”

Freedom from Torture chief executive Sonya Sceats said: “Outsourcing such a sensitive process to a commercial provider and severing the link between the interview and the decision-maker is a dangerous move that could jeopardise the Home Office’s commitment to make the right decision first time and push more people into the appeal system.”

The possibility of G4S getting its hands on the contract is likely to be of concern to refugee rights campaigners.

The security firm was forced to end its involvement with the immigration and asylum sector last year after an undercover reporter filmed officials at Brook House detention centre, then run by G4S, mocking, abusing and assaulting inmates.