'I wouldn't do it again': Robert Jenrick says he regrets ordering workers to paint over murals at children’s asylum centre

11 October 2024, 11:25

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Robert Jenrick has told LBC he regrets ordering workers to paint over cartoon characters at a children’s asylum centre, adding he "would not do it again".

The Conservative leadership contender made the order to paint over the mural during his stint as Immigration Minister in the last government.

Asked about the incident by LBC's Nick Ferrari at breakfast, Mr Jenrick said he took the action as he was “very worried at the time and continue to be about those people who are adults, coming into our country illegally and posing as children”.

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At the time, the Tory leadership hopeful said the murals were considered too welcoming, with workers at Kent asylum centre for lone children horrified by the decision.

He added: “So I did feel that it was important that at the initial point of arrival we treat these places as law enforcement environments with a view to trying to weed out those people who are actually just posing as children.

"I think that was the right decision, but of course there are lessons to be learned from it, and I probably would have done things differently if I had my time again.”

Pressed by Nick to say if this meant he would not do it again, he said: “No I wouldn’t, but what I did want to do then and I feel just as passionately about today, is that we have got to weed out those people who are posing as children when they first arrive.”

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The minister who ordered the Kent Intake Unit children's mural to be removed has previously defended his call, saying the characters on the wall were not "age-appropriate" in July 2023.

Murals of cartoon characters - including Mickey Mouse and The Jungle Book's Baloo - were ordered to be removed from the asylum seeker reception by Jenrick in April this year.

He told the House of Commons that the reception centre was painted over because it was not appropriate for the children arriving in the UK.

Jenrick insisted the centre was “high quality” and offered “appropriate support” to incoming minors.

“The cohort of unaccompanied children who passed through last year were largely teenagers and we didn’t feel the site was age-appropriate, but it does contain a range of support for children and infants,” Mr Jenrick said.“

Nothing about the decoration of sites changes the fundamentals that if someone comes to the UK we will treat them with decency and compassion at all times.”

The Freedom From Torture charity accused the government of “losing sight of its humanity” after the changes were reported.