A string of prominent British artists, cartoonists and illustrators have pledged to create artwork in UK asylum centers after Robert Jenrick, the UK Immigration Secretary, ordered Department of Foreign Affairs staff Interior of destroying murals designed to create a welcoming atmosphere in a UK detention centre.
Jenrick told staff to paint over artistic depictions of animals carved into the walls of Tug Haven, a reception unit for asylum seekers in Dover, Kent, to create an “environment of enforcement law,” Enver Solomon, the head of a leading British refugee charity, told an audience at the Wiener Holocaust Library, the newspaper i reported.
Robert Jenrick’s parliamentary office did not respond to a request for comment.
Responding to the news, British illustrator and cartoonist Guy Venables, best known for his work on the satirical weekly Private detectivedirects a consortium of artists, mainly from Private detective and the Professional Designers Organization (PCO). The artists want to create works that could help those arriving in the UK asylum system.
With the help of London-based organization the Refugee Council, Venables is currently negotiating with the Home Office for access to refugee centers where the children are held while their asylum claims are being processed. Once permission is granted, the artists plan to cover the walls with welcoming artwork.
Venables tells The arts journal: “I have offered to repaint the children’s center mural, painted by order of Robert Jenrick, in the Dover refugee centre.”
Venables says colleagues from Private detective, namely the famous cartoonists Royston, Banx, The Surreal McCoy, Glenn Marshall and Dermot Walsh, have agreed to create works in the asylum centers, if they are granted access. Prominent UK illustrators Mike Dicks, Rosie Brooks and Chris White have also pledged to join Venables.
“Jenrick’s decision to censor children’s artwork is a baffling display of startling and unnecessary cruelty,” says Venables. “In response, my offer is simple. We will go to the center and do another fresco. A standard. A mural illustrated by many of the best cartoonists and illustrators in the country. Jenrick could, perhaps, think twice before vandalizing the work of several professional national cartoonists just to deny a vulnerable child something fun to watch.
British arts organizations that support asylum seekers have pledged their support for the fledgling initiative. Almir Koldzic, director of London-based organization Counterpoints Arts, says: “It is amazing to hear that anyone would object to art designed to accommodate children seeking refuge. We support many artists working in reception centers for asylum seekers in the UK and welcome any other initiatives to bring creativity and joy to people for whom it can make such a big difference.
Savan Qadir, project manager of the Glasgow-based campaign group Refugees for Justice, says: “We are totally behind the offer made by Guy Venables and other artists to create cartoons in detention centers for asylum seekers. British asylum. It is shocking to hear that Robert Jenrick tries to psychologically punish children, often victims of persecution and war, by removing paintings and cartoons from the walls of asylum centres.
The i newspaper reported that Solomon, the chief executive of the Refugee Council, alleged Jenrick ordered the artwork censored while speaking on June 22 at a Refugee Week event organized by the Wiener Holocaust Library in Russell Square, London. The artwork was destroyed at an undetermined time earlier this year.
As a result, the director of the Wiener Holocaust Library, the world’s oldest archive of Holocaust-related documents, expressed “concern about the hostile environment” the UK government has adopted towards asylum seekers arriving in the country.
Director Toby Simpson tells The arts journal“We urge all governments to show compassion and condemn words and actions that dehumanize those seeking refuge.”
According to the i newspaper, at the event, Solomon said Jenrick told staff that the photos ‘must be deleted’ to clarify that the center was a ‘law enforcement environment’ and ‘not a center. home,” Solomon said.
A spokesperson for Solomon declined a request for comment from The Arts Journal.
A Home Office spokesperson tells The arts journal“We are doing everything possible to ensure the safety and support of the children as we urgently seek placements with a local authority. All children receive a well-being interview upon arrival at accommodation, which includes questions designed to identify potential indicators of trafficking or protection concerns.
“Our priority is to stop the boats and disrupt the smugglers. The government has gone further by introducing legislation which will ensure that people arriving in the UK illegally are detained and quickly returned to their country of origin or a safe third country.
