Do it with dignity or ship on out

It is right that migrants who have no legal basis to remain in this country should be removed. It is utterly wrong for those doing the removing to make disgusting racist jokes about them.

People who have endured long, painful and sometimes hazardous journeys to our shores will be bitterly disappointed when they are sent home again.

But they deserve to be treated with dignity and respect at every point in that process.

And it will add insult to perceived injury to discover they have also been the butt of racist WhatsApp posts.

So it is only right that the Home Office is investigating these messages and that Mitie, the firm responsible for repatriation flights and detention centres, has suspended staff.

Some of the abuse was even aimed at Diane Abbott and Priti Patel. That, too, is totally unacceptable.

But Ms Patel does need to get a grip of her department and the outsourced companies working for it.

The Tories are too keen to put business the way of private firms they are friendly with rather than employ in-house staff whose direct line manager would be the Government.

After the Home Secretary’s disastrous handling of cross-Channel boat crossings, this is yet another example of her lack of control.

Ms Patel should now put this investigation into the hands of the independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration.

In an appalling case such as this, nothing less than full transparency will do.

And if Mitie management failure is held to blame for the atrocious behaviour of its staff there should be only one option open. To terminate Mitie’s contract with immediate effect.