Home Office paints over Mickey Mouse murals at asylum centre for unaccompanied children in Kent

The Home Office has confirmed murals depicting cartoon characters – including Mickey Mouse – have been painted over at an asylum centre for unaccompanied children in Kent.

The removal of the artwork followed an order by immigration minister Robert Jenrick.

He is reported to have felt the murals gave the impression Britain was too ‘welcoming’ to people crossing the Channel in small boats.

The Kent Intake Unit is among the facilities used by the Home Office to hold migrants who have arrived from France after undertaking sea crossings.

It is mainly for unaccompanied children who arrive at the coast to be supervised, identified, interviewed and issued with immigration papers.

Paintings of Mickey and Minnie Mouse, as well as Tom and Jerry, previously adorned the walls of a smaller detention room at the centre.

But the Home Office has now confirmed these were removed on Tuesday. 

Labour lashed out at the ‘utterly absurd’ action, while charities mockingly questioned whether the Home Office would now replace the artwork with cartoon villains such as Cruella de Vil.

The removal of the artwork followed an order by immigration minister Robert Jenrick, who is reported to have felt the murals gave the impression Britain was too ‘welcoming’

The Kent Intake Unit is among the facilities used by the Home Office to hold migrants who have arrived from France after undertaking sea crossings

The i newspaper, which first reported the removal of the murals, said Mr Jenrick had told staff to paint over the murals in April following the building’s opening in November last year.

An inspection of the Kent Intake Unit by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons in February found thenewly-built centre was ‘in good condition, warm and brightly lit although there were no windows’.

But it found the arrangments for cleaning bedding after use were ‘inadequate’ and the rooms became dirtier during use in the day, due to there being no cleaner on duty and no cleaning schedule.

There were ‘unacceptably dirty’ toilets, a ‘too limited’ range of toys for young children and ‘little reading material’, the report added.

Responding to the removal of the murals at the Kent Intake Unit, Labour’s shadow immigration minister Stephen Kinnock said: ‘The idea that painting over murals and removing entertainment for unaccompanied children in immigration centres will somehow stop the boats is utterly absurd.

‘This is a sign of a chaotic Government in crisis, whose failing approach means all they have left is tough talk and cruel and callous policies.’

Charlotte Khan, of refugee charity Care4Calais said: ‘If Mickey Mouse is too “welcoming” for Ministers, the question is what will they replace him with in order to inflict more fear on traumatised asylum seeking children – Maleficent? Ursula? Maybe even Cruella herself?

‘The real villains in this sorry tale are Robert Jenrick and the rest of this heartless bunch that call themselves Ministers.’

The Home Office highlighted how, despite the removal of the murals, other features at the Kent Intake Unit included larger and softer interview rooms, an outside space, prayer rooms, a larger reception area and improved security measures to ensure children’s safety.

A spokesperson said: ‘We do all we can to ensure children are safe, secure and supported as we urgently seek placements with a local authority.

‘All children receive a welfare interview on their arrival at accommodation, which includes questions designed to identify potential indicators of trafficking or safeguarding issues.

‘Our priority is to stop the boats and disrupt the people smugglers.

‘The Government has gone further by introducing legislation which will ensure that those people arriving in the UK illegally are detained and promptly removed to their country of origin or a safe third country.’