When the British immigration minister Robert Jenrick visited an asylum center in Kent, he allegedly took issue with the cheerful murals of cartoon characters in the reception area and ordered their removal.

Jenrick wanted to make it clear that this was a “law enforcement environment” and “not a reception center”, staff at the facility said. I log.

“The Immigration Minister said cartoon and animal images should be removed and staff should ensure they are painted on as they give a welcoming impression, which Mr Jenrick didn’t want to show,” Enver Solomon, CEO of the Refugee Council, said. I log.

The artwork, of course, is designed to make children, who often arrive alone in a foreign country after a trying journey, feel comfortable.

“All children receive a wellbeing interview upon arrival at accommodation, which includes questions designed to identify potential indicators of trafficking or protection concerns,” a Home Office spokesperson said. Independentinterviewed about the experiences of migrant children.

Paintings in the Kent center include Disney characters Mickey and Minnie Mouse, and Tom and Jerry from Warner Bros.

“Staff had painted cartoons and animals to comfort and reassure the lonely children who had made incredibly difficult journeys in perilous conditions,” said Yvette Cooper, the shadow interior secretary. I log. “That the Minister of Immigration should interfere like this is incomprehensible.

So far, center staff have refused to comply with Jenrick’s “cruel” request.

As of press time, the immigration minister had not responded to requests from Artnet News.

Migrants have arrived in the UK in record numbers, with an all-time high of 11,000 Channel crossings in June. Since taking office in October, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has made ‘stopping the boats’ one of his five key promises, but Britain’s Border Force is now forecasting up to 55,000 migrant arrivals a month, according to THE National.

The current migration crisis has inspired a number of artists, including the famous street artist Banksy, who has financed a migrant rescue ship. Italian authorities detained the shipbaptized the Louise Michelin March.

More trending stories:

In Pictures: Black Artists Use AI to Create Works That Reveal Embedded Bias of Technology for New Online Show

Tourist arrested for engraving his name and that of his girlfriend on the Colosseum asks for forgiveness

Bronze statues and artifacts from a long-buried Etruscan site, discovered with the help of a garbage collector, are now on display in Rome

Archaeologists have found an ancient marble bust believed to have belonged to Caligula at the bottom of an Italian lake

German archaeologists find 3,000-year-old Bronze Age sword so well preserved it ‘almost still shines’

See Erwin Wurm’s absurd sculptures take over a British park, from a Birkin bag on legs to a folding truck climbing the wall

Susie Barstow, a 19th-century artist who traveled the Blossoming Mountains to paint stunning landscapes, finally gets a museum retrospective

Follow Artnet News on Facebook:


Want to stay one step ahead of the art world? Subscribe to our newsletter to receive breaking news, revealing interviews and incisive reviews that move the conversation forward.