Minister ordered childrens artwork to be painted over at asylum centre

Robert Jenrick said the asylum centre should be seen as a ‘law enforcement environment’ (Picture: Rex)

Immigration minister Robert Jenrick ordered children’s artwork to be painted over at an asylum reception centre, it has been claimed.

Enver Solomon, CEO of the Refugee Council, said Mr Jenrick asked for the paintings of cartoons and animals to be removed at the Kent asylum intake unit earlier this year.

He also allegedly told workers to take down welcome signs to show the centre was a ‘law enforcement environment’, the I reports.

Mr Enver told a Refugee Week event hosted by the Wiener Holocaust Library last week the children’s painting were designed to put lone youngsters at ease.

He told the I: ‘The Immigration Minister said pictured of cartoons and animals must be removed and that staff should make sure they are painted over, as they give an impression of welcoming, which Mr Jenrick didn’t want to show.

‘This demonstrates that the hostile environment has become so entrenched, that today we have lost sight of humanity.’

It comes after the number of Channel crossings reached a new record of 11,000 for the month of June.

This is despite Prime Minister Rishi Sunak pledging to ‘stop the boats’.

The controversail Rwanda deportation scheme was ruled as unlawful (Picture: EPA)

His controversial Rwanda deportation scheme was ruled unlawful by three High Court judges.

In the judgment, Sir Geoffrey Vos said there were ‘substantial grounds’ to think that asylum seekers faced ‘real risks’ of torture or inhuman treatment, or that their claims for asylum would not be properly determined in Rwanda.

Lord Burnett added the court reached its conclusion on the law and took ‘no view whatsoever’ about the political merits of the policy.

Mr Sunak issued a blistering statement following the ruling, where he confirmed an appeal would be made to the Supreme Court.

He said: ‘While I respect the court I fundamentally disagree with their conclusions.

‘The policy of this government is very simple, it is this country – and your government – who should decide who comes here, not criminal gangs. And I will do whatever is necessary to make that happen.’

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