A youth detention centre in Nijmegen has been heavily criticised after photographs showing detainees with jihadi flags and marijuana came into the hands of local broadcaster Omroep Gelderland.

The justice ministry has confirmed the photos were taken inside the De Hunnerberg unit but said that ‘drugs, phones and items of a discriminatory, inflammatory or militant nature’ are against the centre’s rules.

The ministry did say the photographs are three years old and have been circulating online for some time.

The broadcaster says lawyers for the detainees shown on the photographs were not aware of their existence.

MPs have called for a debate with the minister about the findings.

Two months ago, junior justice minister Klaas Dijkhoff sent a copy of the last inspectors’ report on the detention centre. It criticised the lax approach of security guards and said no proper records were kept about who visited the centre.