Outsourcing giant Capita have received a government contract to find and remove illegal migrants within the UK.

The contract is based on a payment-by-results system, and is expected to be worth £40 million, with Capita beating Serco and two other companies to the bid.

Chief executive of the UK Border Agency Rob Whiteman, said: "Capita will be paid for the number of people they make contact with, and leave, and that's purely on a payment by results basis. If nobody leaves because they make contact with them, nobody will get paid."

At present they are 174,000 known illegal migrants within the UK.