Children’s Asylum Centre ‘too welcoming’ 😢

Hmmm, it seems a bit pointless removing cartoon characters from walls, but am also wondering about the point of these when it’s mainly teenagers / young men who go through this centre.It’s not a nursery after all.
Baggs I agree with what you say in your various posts on here.
The government in the Netherlands has just collapsed over the asylum seekers and policies, they will be holding elections later in the year, it’s a growing problem for very many countries.

Robert Jenrick is also the minister who declared : "migrants are breaking into our country in flagrant breach of our laws." Talk about inflammatory language.
I can not understand the argument "they should stay in another safe country". We hear that frequently. So we prefer to pick and choose. Others can take the so called illegal ones. What is happening to this country?

The Dutch (ex) Dutch government have a very strict asylum system.

www.standard.co.uk/news/world/dutch-government-collapse-migration-asylum-seekers-politics-mark-rutte-prime-minister-netherlands-b1093056.html

Primrose53

I think we are only being told part of the story.

As usual

Well what is "the full story?"

News has been out for several days now but nothing new, nothing denied. I keep googling and checking. If it were not true, would there not have been a correcting statement by now?

“Suffer little children”

Whitewavemark2

“Suffer little children”

Indeed

The response of some people here is that "we don't know the full story", as if that can somehow deflect criticism of this heartless, mean-spirited demand. So exactly what story would justify Jenrick's "demand"... and yes, it was reported as a demand, not as a suggestion or a mere aside. Do tell... Shameful.

I'm afraid it's just part of the hostile environment. Let's make the migrants' experience as grim as possible.

Do the Tories treat children as undesirable criminals? Does Jenrick represent mainstream Tory opinion? Are they fit to be in government?

Some of you on here have sunk to a new low . What the hell does "need more information" mean ? What more information do you need ? A minister has ordered cartoons in a centre to house kids who are scared ,possibly traumatised, to be painted over so as not to make them welcoming . I dispare when I read some of the comments on here, you should be ashamed.

Shouldn’t judge by appearances, I know but one look at the man’s visage and it says it all, doesn’t it? Self satisfied creep.

MerylStreep

The Dutch (ex) Dutch government have a very strict asylum system.

www.standard.co.uk/news/world/dutch-government-collapse-migration-asylum-seekers-politics-mark-rutte-prime-minister-netherlands-b1093056.html

I would agree that our system here (if you can call it a system) is completely chaotic and the government has got to get a grip on speedier processing and outcomes for asylum seekers.

However, perhaps Jenrick should concentrate on the bigger issues rather than a petty, mean-spirited action such as painting over cartoons at a centre for unaccompanied children.

Home office figures show there were over 5 k applications for asylum by unaccompanied children last year. And as it takes ages to even get to apply there must be many more who are not yet in the system. I used to work with these children, and, believe me, they exist.

I am mortified to be British 😱. How can anyone think this is ok ? The conservatives have lost reality and humanity. This can not be the will of the British people

He should be sacked

Children aren't responsible for whatever caused them to seek asylum what a cruel and pointless gesture. Maybe Banksey et al will replace it. Why punish children! Why punish asylum seekers at all! So many of them are genuinely in need of our support and kindness after fleeing terrible persecution and danger! If this is true is shows the Tories in a very poor light.

What planet is this Jenrick person on? Is he from the 18th century? He certainly cannot be very intelligent!

Remember when they realised they were known as the Nasty Party

These poor traumatised, lost children. How can anyone have so little compassion.. surely he must remember how vulnerable his own children were when they were little.. unbelievable lack of empathy

mayisay/Primrose 53 - I agree that crossing the Channel from a safe country is unnecessary, but how can an unaccompanied child pay to make the journey?🤔 Removing the cartoon pictures is unbelievable.
Does Jenrick have children of his own? I wonder if they’re allowed pics in their bedrooms?!
I have never before considered voting Labour, but the Tories are rapidly losing my support. I watched the Tory MP on Question Time on Thursday - supercilious, obnoxious. I thought the Labour MP and Fiona Bruce did well not to throttle him on live TV! 😂
The owner of the green power co. came over very well (sorry, can’t remember his name). If we had PR I wouldn’t hesitate to vote for the Green Party.

If it is true that the murals were painted without permission, then that would possibly call for a reprimand to the person who ordered them.

If, as I assume, the murals were paid for out of public funding then that too might indicate the need for investigation on the part of the relevant authority.

Ordering them to be painted over does seems unkind and unneccessary - a reprimand could have been given and the minister then allowed them to remain on the walls, as this would be cheaper than having the walls repainted.

The reason stated "that they were too welcoming" sounds to me more like the spin a newspaper would put on the action than anything a politician would be likely to say in public.

I am staggered at the albeit minority support on this thread for Jenrick's heartless, spiteful demand. All that removal of these murals would achieve would be to send a very clear, painful message to children who are already here, and may well already be traumatised by their experiences, that the hurt will not stop here, and that they will continue to be victimised and scapegoated by those who supposedly should now have an interest in their welfare and wellbeing. No-one is suggesting they should attract 5 star treatment or should automatically be handed passports and receive full benefits... although some of the gutter press would have you think otherwise. Painting of the murals for these children was a caring, voluntary act by centre staff, through which they displayed just a little of the milk of human kindness, in attempt to make the surroundings feel just a little less like a sterile detention centre. A purely cosmetic but no doubt welcome diversion for the benefit of those unfortunate, lonely children. Jenrick and his apologists here are now attempting to heartlessly turn that milk very sour. May their God forgive them, because I can't... The children are here, whether we like it or not, and should be treated with compassion and with humanity. Jenrick and his like are proposing quite the opposite.

Did anyone hear the report on 'From Our Own Correspondent' this morning on Radio 4? It described one of the very many ways unaccompanied children can be exploited, in this case Yezidi children. Famine, natural disaster, war, despotic governments make children particularly vulnerable. What makes us in the UK or similar rich countries more 'worthy' of care and humane treatment?

I don't think anyone on this discussion would shut their door on a child or teenager in desperate need? I hope they wouldn't on an adult either.

I understand people's reluctance to be too welcoming to the adult migrants, though don't agree with it myself, but the children are not here by their own choice so should be treated differently anyway. I was shocked to hear it. Sadly it's just another inhumane Tory policy just like sending the poor folk to Rwanda. Shame on them!

The murals were painted by volunteers, it states it in several articles. The tax payer didn’t fund it. I want to say get a bloody grip. I have never seen so many unfeeling posts regarding vulnerable children. It’s sad