Thousands of asylum seeker children in the UK will receive postcards with cheerful cartoons, following a government order to paint over murals at two reception centres last month. The campaign, named Cartoons Not Cruelty, aims to send 9,300 welcoming messages to children under 14 who arrived in the UK last year, supported by the Refugee Council and the Find Others platform.
The initiative was sparked by the removal of murals featuring characters like Anna from Disney's Frozen, Mickey Mouse, and Baloo the bear. Immigration minister Robert Jenrick initially said the murals at the Kent Intake Unit (KIU) were “too welcoming” but later told MPs they were not “age appropriate” for teenage migrants. A similar order was given for murals at Manston near Ramsgate, another reception centre for small-boat arrivals.
Jenrick's decision drew widespread criticism, leading to the Cartoons Not Cruelty campaign and a Change.org petition with over 120,000 signatures calling for the murals' restoration. From Tuesday, people can visit the campaign website to sign postcards with pre-written welcome messages, which will be printed and distributed through the Refugee Council.
Rima Amin, who started the campaign, said: “To say that the cartoons were ‘not age appropriate’ fails to recognise the 9,300 under-14s that arrived in the UK just last year. That’s why we’re sending 9,300 postcards. The power of a simple postcard cannot be underestimated in brightening a child’s day and conveying the message that they are seen and valued.”
Georgina Hollis, co-founder of Find Others, added: “Our action aims to ensure that the children who need it most receive a personalised token of warmth and kindness. These postcards are a reminder that they are not alone. This is very much needed in the moment when the government fails to show compassion and empathy.” The murals at Manston and KIU were painted over by the Ministry of Justice's estates team last month.
