Minister defends painting over Mickey Mouse cartoons in asylum centre

Robert Jenrick said Mickey Mouse cartoons in a Kent asylum reception centre were painted over as they were not "age appropriate" for teenagers being housed there.

The immigration minister was answering shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper's claim that nobody believed the images either “encourage or deter” boats with migrants arriving.

She called for “common decency” towards vulnerable children, while Mr Jenrick said she failed to put forward a "credible alternative" to the Illegal Migration Bill.

11 July 2023