Welcome images at UK asylum center for children deemed 'too welcoming'
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Murals containing images of beloved characters like Mickey Mouse were deemed too welcoming for the UK's immigration minister.
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The Kent intake unit (The Guardian via HM Chief Inspector of Prisons)
According to The Guardian, the UK's Immigration Minister, Robert Jenrick, thought Disney murals, and childhood images like Mickey Mouse and Baloo from The Jungle Book are too welcoming for asylum seekers arriving in a reception center in Kent.
The Kent Intake Unit (KIU) is a reception place for minor asylum seekers that come without adults, some as young as nine.
The minister ordered that the images be removed in April, due to his opinion that they "sent the wrong message." Jenrick did not specify what that exact message was, however.
Staff at Kent's small boat arrivals reception station were appalled by the directive and fought painting over the paintings.
The Guardian reached out to the Home Office but they declined to comment.
Read more: 24,000+ UK asylum seekers could be sent to Rwanda despite court ruling
Stephen Kinnock, the shadow immigration minister told the I magazine, who was the first to report on the matter that “The idea that painting over murals and removing entertainment for unaccompanied children in immigration centers will somehow stop the boats is utterly absurd," calling the decision 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 the refugee charity Care4Calais expressed that called Jenrick and other ministers like him the "real villains," elaborating that “If Mickey Mouse is too ‘welcoming’ for ministers, the question is what will they replace him with in order to inflict more fear on traumatized asylum-seeking children – Maleficent? Ursula? Maybe even Cruella herself? "
A spokesperson from the Home Office assured that "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.”
According to Home Office officials, KIU has a variety of amenities, including larger and softer interview rooms than the former reception center for youngsters. There was also an outdoor area, prayer rooms, a larger reception area, and upgraded security measures to protect the safety of the youngsters.
A study issued last month by His Majesty's Inspectorate of Prisons following a visit to KIU found that the facilities had improved since earlier inspections. However, persistent flaws were discovered and “Inspectors found no examples of notable positive practice during this inspection."
Inspectors discovered that access to legal representation was also limited, with many youngsters being kept for longer than the 24-hour maximum. Inspectors also faulted KIU's procedures for handling medical isolation. The study was welcomed by the UK Home Office, and officials stated that they had taken measures to address some of the suggestions.
