UK minister has happy images removed from center for juvenile asylum seekers

In April, staff at the Kent Admissions Unit in Dover were told Mickey Mouse and Baloo, among others, were to be removed, the UK newspaper reported. I. According to Secretary of State Robert Jenrick, cheerfulness did not suit a sober immigration office. The staff failed to respond to the order, after which painters came earlier this week with cans of paint to re-whitewash the walls.

The decision sparked outrage. Various designers have offered to decorate the walls with drawings, but it is practically impossible to enter the shelter without permission. In front of The Guardian Labor immigration spokesman Stephen Kinnock called the idea “completely absurd” that the measure would slow the arrival of boats carrying asylum seekers.

Discouragement Policy

Jenrick’s intervention recalls the policy of discouragement of former Home Secretary Theresa May, a member of the party. As early as 2012, works were commissioned by May to create a “hostile climate” for people residing illegally on the island. For example, vehicles circulated with billboards inviting illegal immigrants to surrender.

The policy had little effect except that dozens of people from the Caribbean who had lived legally in the UK for decades were granted illegal status overnight due to bureaucratic blunders. This Windrush case caused a big stir five years ago and the resignation of May’s successor, Amber Rudd. At the same time, illegal immigration has increased sharply.

Migrant boats

The riot around the murals shows the scale of the panic within the government. Migrants by boat still arrive almost daily on the Kent coast. On Friday, there were even three hundred. They are now already recovered at sea by the coast guard. With this, the government wants to prevent images of migrants running victoriously on the beach. It’s miscommunication.

After a change in the law, it is no longer possible for illegal immigrants to invoke a law against “modern slavery” introduced in May. Currently, the ministry is moving asylum seekers from hotels to other reception locations, such as old ferries off the coast. On such a boat in Dorset, the equivalent of 444,000 euros has been reserved for free English lessons.

Deportations prevented

Asylum seekers who indicate that they are minors are registered at the reception center in Kent. Because they often don’t have official documents with them, verifying the correct age is often an impossible task. The vast majority of asylum seekers are young men traveling alone. Planned deportations to Rwanda were prevented by the court.