Lord Dubs: Jenrick order to paint over kids’ Disney mural in asylum centre a disgrace
Lord Dubs, who came to Britain as a child refugee after fleeing the Nazis, slams immigration minister Robert Jenrick after he ordered pictures of cartoons and animals at Dover asylum centre to be painted over
Lee Harpin is the Jewish News's political editor
A senior peer who came to Britain as a child refugee after fleeing the Nazis has been praised for his outspoken criticism of minister Robert Jenrick after he had ordered the painting over pictures of cartoons and animals at an asylum reception centre to ensure children did not feel welcomed.
Lord Alf Dubs, one of 669 children who escaped the Holocaust on a Kindertransport train from Prague organised by British stockbroker Sir Nicholas Winton, described immigration minister Robert Jenrick’s order to paint over the mural as “shocking.”
Speaking in the Lords he said: “The minister has just said that the Government take the welfare of unaccompanied children seriously. How does that relate to the arrivals centre in Dover, which had cartoons and welcoming signs for children removed on the orders of the Home Office Minister because it might make the children feel too welcome? Is that not a disgrace?
“Is it not time that Government Back-Benchers felt as embarrassed as we are that this is happening in our country?”
Tory peer Lord Murray of Blidworth replied: “The murals that the noble Lord refers to were provided by our detention contractors and were not commissioned or approved by the Home Office. It is clearly the correct decision that these facilities have the requisite decoration befitting their purpose.”
Lord Dubs, who fled the persecution of Jews in Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia in 1939, had arrived in the UK as a six-year-old refugee, had asked minister Lord Murray to explain the removal of murals on the grounds they were “too welcoming for children”.
Dubs later tweeted he thanks to those who had praised him for highlighting the decision to paint over the mural.
He wrote:”Something has shifted in the public mood regarding refugees. “I’ve been tweeting about refugees for many years but never before received such an upswell of sympathy, and near universal condemnation of the government’s callous approach.”
The pictures of Mickey and Minnie Mouse, as well as cartoon favourites Tom and Jerry, were removed from the wall last week at the facility in Dover, Kent on the orders of Jenrick.
Another Conservative peer, Lord Cormack, lashed out at the Government’s actions, saying: “This incident of the painting out of murals designed only to amuse unaccompanied children sends out a message that frankly is not worthy of our country.”
Labour frontbencher Lord Coaker said he had seen the murals at the facility during an official visit.He said: “There was nothing offensive about it. All it did was provide comfort and a sense of belonging to children in a desperate situation. That’s presumably why somebody painted it. They didn’t paint it out of badness. It was… an act of kindness.”
The government has pledged to stop overcrowded dinghies making the journey from northern France to the UK.
Rishi Sunak’s immigration bill was heavily criticised in the Lords on Tuesday. Theresa May and Tim Loughton were among more than a dozen backbench Tories seeking further changes to the legislation.
The Home Office offered several concessions on Monday evening, including on time limits for the detention of children and pregnant women.
MPs overturned amendments in a succession of votes on Tuesday. The bill now goes back to the Lords, before returning again to the Commons next week.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
