Primary pupils send drawings to refugee children after 'welcoming' murals painted over

The classes of pupils in Birmingham sent 100 pictures to children at the Kent Intake Centre

Pupils from St Gerard's Catholic Primary School in Birmingham with their hand-drawn pictures. PA

Primary children sent hand-drawn pictures to young refugees following the removal of murals at an asylum centre which were reportedly considered “too welcoming”.

Two classes of pupils aged between eight and nine at St Gerard's Catholic Primary School in Birmingham sent the drawings after they were left feeling “disappointed”, “sad”, “angry”, and “ashamed of their country” by the removal.

They sent about 100 pictures to children at the Kent Intake Centre, as well as some directly to British Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick.

Mr Jenrick said the murals, which included images of Mickey Mouse and other Disney characters, were not “age appropriate” for the majority of young people staying there – but reports claimed he had felt they were “too welcoming”.

The pupils at St Gerard's said they were inspired to do something to make the children feel more welcome.

“When I heard it, it made me feel ashamed of my country because they're making the children's centre less welcoming,” said Hugo, who is eight years old.

Ophelia, who is also eight, said the decision to remove the images “made me feel really sad and angry, because some people in the world aren't being very nice to them, and I think they should be welcomed everywhere”.

She said she and her school mates were inspired to make their own pictures to send to the children.

“So, we made these to send them to the government so that they could stick them up so they feel welcomed.”

The pupils have gathered about 100 drawings so far, while others have written stories for the children to read.

“As soon as I heard that those paintings were being painted over, I almost cried, because I don't think people should be treated like that because we don't know what they're going through,” Darcey, also eight, said.

Nine-year-old Anointing-Shalom said: “When I heard that the pictures have been painted over, it made me angry, and it made me feel disappointed because we want them to feel welcomed.

“We're supposed to treat others how we want to be treated.”

Hugo said he wanted the children at the asylum centre to “recognise they are not alone” and that “there are other people that are with them”.

Darcey said she wanted people to recognise that refugee children are “like superheroes” as “they've been escaping their country and they've probably been walking miles and miles to just find safety”.

Anointing-Shalom's message to “all the refugees out there” is “to never give up because they've come this far and we don't want to turn them around and push them back”.

Ophelia said she through the British government “should listen to us and change their mind and start being kind to the refugees and giving them things”.

Older children at St Gerard's have written letters to their MP, Labour's Paulette Hamilton, who was said to have written back giving her views and agreeing with the children about what changes they would like to see.

Adult refugees from Sudan, Cameroon, Syria and Nigeria also visited the pupils at school last week, through the Stories of Hope and Home charity.

As part of the school's work towards a Schools of Sanctuary award – a national network of more than 400 schools committed to creating a culture of welcome and inclusion for refugees and those seeing asylum – the children at St Gerard's heard what it was like for refugees to leave their country and seek asylum in the UK.

Asked how she felt when hearing their stories, Anointing-Shalom said: “It makes me feel ashamed because it makes me feel like the country that I live in is not that friendly if you're not from here.”

Darcey agreed, saying: “It makes me feel very depressed and ashamed, because I think the government are doing the wrong thing, and they don't know what it's like to walk a mile in their shoes.”

It comes after a group of schoolchildren from Palestine was barred by the Home Office from visiting Bolton, a town in Greater Manchester in England, this summer.

The youngsters, who live in the Askar refugee camp near Nablus, have been frequent visitors to the town in recent years, courtesy of efforts from Bolton residents.

Julia Simpkins, a National Union of Education official and one of the organisers of the annual visit, revealed the pupils' visa applications had been denied, effectively preventing them from entering the UK.