The Ben Uri Gallery has launched a campaign to promote the beneficial impact immigrant communities have had on British society.

The gallery, which specialises in European Jewish art, has changed its website to highlight great works by painters who came to this country as immigrants, labelling them as “Great British artists”.

Ben Uri chairman David Glasser has called on other cultural and communal institutions to follow suit.

“We’ve become increasingly concerned by the lack of context and balance on the immigration debate,” he said.

“It’s time the cultural world started to send out a non-political message to say, let’s look at this in context. We live in a multicultural society, and this multicultural element has enriched Britain and made the country great.

Mr Glasser said he had received “positive indications” that others would follow his lead. And he believed the Jewish community had a special duty to defend immigrants.

“As Jews we are still part of the immigrant community of this country. We have to remember our roots, and make sure that the same positive dynamic which allowed us to be British as well as Jewish, is offered to others. We have to take a moral stance,” he said.