The Home Office spent more than £1,500 to remove murals of cartoon characters from an asylum centre that takes in children.
Officials sparked controversy after painting over child-friendly artwork such as Anna from Disney’s Frozen at Manston detention camp near Ramsgate last month.
Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick has since claimed that the cartoons were covered up because they were not “age appropriate” for teenagers, but has not clarified why welcome signs were also removed.
A Freedom of Information (FoI) request sent to the Home Office reveals that the total cost of the redecoration to the reception areas at the centre cost £1,549.52.
Cartoon characters such as Mickey Mouse and Baloo from The Jungle Book were also painted over on the walls at an asylum centre in Dover.
An inspection report on the two facilities earlier this year highlighted “very young children” at Manston, where baby food, children’s toys and changing facilities were provided. It also praised the “bright, cheerful colours” of the family marquee and “plenty of toys to occupy children”.
The report by HM Inspector of Prisons (HMIP) also pointed out a lack of toys for “young children” at the Kent unit, which can cater for 34 people, and displayed a photograph of a “family holding room” with a mural of Mickey Mouse.
A Home Office spokesperson said: “We do all we can to ensure children are safe, secure and supported as we urgently seek placements with a local authority. All children receive a welfare interview, which includes questions designed to identify potential indicators of trafficking or safeguarding issues.
“Our priority is to stop the boats and disrupt the people smugglers. The government has gone further by introducing legislation which will ensure that those people arriving in the UK illegally are detained and promptly removed to their country of origin or a safe third country.”
