Protection for Banksy art

A Banksy mural at the Calais refugee camp. Photo / AP

British graffiti artist Banksy's mural of late Apple founder Steve Jobs as a refugee on a wall in the Calais migrant camp and two other Banksy works in other parts of the city will be protected.

The Banksy mural depicts a life-size Jobs carrying a shoulder bag and an early model Apple computer on a wall at the entrance to the Calais camp, surrounded by migrants' tents.

Pictures of the murals are posted on Banksy's website. Authorities in Calais, northern France, said yesterday that they planned to shield the murals with glass or transparent plastic panels.

"We found out about the presence of this artwork on (Saturday) and have decided to protect it, so it is not damaged," a Calais city spokeswoman said. Calais Mayor Natacha Bouchart said that the artwork was an opportunity for Calais. "It is very good, and it has a message," she said.

Banksy said in a rare statement to British media that Apple only existed because American authorities allowed a young man from Homs in Syria to enter the US.

"We're often led to believe migration is a drain on the country's resources but Steve Jobs was the son of a Syrian migrant," Banksy said.

In a second Banksy mural by the Calais Beach, a child looks towards Britain through a telescope, with a vulture perched on the telescope.

A third work, close to the immigration office, reproduces a black and white version of The Raft of the Medusa, of shipwreck survivors by 19th century French painter Theodore Gericault. It shows survivors on a raft waving to catch the attention of what looks like a modern yacht.

The Banksy website carries a photo of the mural with the caption: "We're not all in the same boat".