Hello 120,495 of you 

You might remember that we wrote a letter to the Minister of Immigration Robert Jenrick and highlighted the public’s call to restore the cartoons along with more issues relating to child welfare that we learned of through inspection reports at the centres. We have received a response to that letter from the UK Visa and Immigration Office. I have pasted it in full below for you to read.

Along with some information relating to their safeguarding responsibilities, they continue to claim the cartoons are not age-appropriate and will not meet with us about our campaign.

Whilst it’s not the response we wanted - a response is a strong start. It shows that campaign pressure is being felt. 

We will reply to ask for a meeting with someone on behalf of the minister - even if it’s not the minister himself.

To help with that, I’d be grateful if you could leave a message in the comments about why we will not give up on this issue, what it symbolises about compassion and care more broadly- and what we want to see from our leaders.

I understand the anger people feel around the government’s response- but a  reminder to please keep any comments respectful.

Thank you for your campaigning support!
I’ll be in touch soon with more.

But for now. Let’s keep going!   

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Dear Ms Amin

Thank you for your email correspondence of 14 July to the Minister for Immigration about the removal of murals inside the Kent Intake Unit in Dover.  Your enquiry has been passed to me to reply.

Thank you for your comments, please be assured that they have been noted.

We take the welfare of minors incredibly seriously and that is why we have said it is not compassionate to allow people - including vulnerable children - to be risking their lives any longer on perilous small boat crossings.  Our comprehensive plan to stop the boats is focused on saving lives by removing the incentive to cross the Channel in unseaworthy vessels.

Where minors do come here through these dangerous means we take our safeguarding responsibilities and their welfare extremely seriously.  We process arrivals in reception centres as quickly as possible and place children in appropriate, safe and secure accommodation with local authorities as quickly as possible.

Very few under-13s pass through the Kent Intake Unit (KIU), and these children are prioritized to be moved to Kent County Council care at the earliest opportunity.  The overwhelming majority of unaccompanied children who passed through the location last year were teenagers.  It was not felt that the murals were age appropriate.

The KIU is fully-equipped to meet the needs of unaccompanied children.  His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prison’s most recent report on the KIU found that good support was provided to the children by the on-site team of social workers, and that the individuals in the unit were happy with the treatment they received there.

The National Transfer Scheme (NTS) ensures these minors are moved to a different local authority as quickly as possible.  To advance this work, since 1 April 2023 the Home Office launched a new incentivised funding programme, with £6000 of funding available for each unaccompanied child transferred to a local authority within five working days.

The facility in question features practical measures in line with our welfare and safeguarding responsibilities which we take very seriously – namely larger interview rooms, an outside space, prayer rooms, a larger reception area and improved security measures.

I also note your request to meet with the Minister.  As I am sure you can appreciate, the Minister has a very busy diary and in light of the above information we do not feel that a meeting would be helpful at this stage.

I hope this addresses your concerns.