IT was once the coastal jewel of the north serving up great British fun for generations of families.
But this historic seaside town, famous for its iconic jolly fisherman character, has now become a flashpoint in the raging debate over the UK’s migrant problem.
AlamyOne of the UK’s most historic seaside towns has become a flashpoint in the debate over the UK’s migrant problem[/caption]
Julieanne Bunce, owner of North Parade Hotel, erected St George’s flags on the building ahead of protests on the street©Stephen Daniels
A notice states ‘we are not housing any asylum seekers’ at the Savoy Hotel©Stephen Daniels
The County Hotel has hosted asylum seekers for the last three years©Stephen Daniels
Coach companies are cancelling tours and holiday-makers are staying away as locals say the resort is overrun by illegal migrants.
Most are living in The County Hotel, which has hosted asylum seekers for the last three years, but many past ‘guests’ now share houses in the town as the Government tries to decamp them elsewhere.
Angry residents recently staged a protest against the influx of migrants while the resort’s famous clock tower has been decorated with flags of St George and roundabouts, bollards and street signs have been sprayed with red crosses.
Some hoteliers have resorted to erecting large flags of England on their frontages to distance themselves from the problem, with one sign promising: “We are NOT housing any asylum seekers.”
Another hotel owner said guests are trying to pull out of stays – and louts threatened to firebomb her premises because they wrongly thought migrants were staying there.
The president of the local bowling club told how he was forced to post letters in different languages around the town to warn migrants against playing football on his ground.
Tourists also say they are fed-up while one migrant told The Sun how he made seven attempts to reach Britain – paying £1,500 to people smugglers – before being granted asylum.
Every year, around a quarter of a million Brits visit Skegness – nicknamed Skegvegas after its lively nightlife and neon amusements – but the population returns to about 20,000 in the winter months.
Around 64 migrants are being looked after at the art-deco County Hotel on North Parade where protestors gathered to oppose the Government’s asylum policy amid growing national anger.
Others are staying in shared properties as the Home Office races to empty hotels and place them in local authority or private rented houses instead.
News Group Newspapers LtdSkegness is famous for its jolly fisherman character[/caption]
GettyHolidaymakers on the beach at Skegness, circa 1930[/caption]
The pubs, bars, nightclubs and neon-lit amusements have earned Skegness the nickname ‘Skegvegas’ Albanpix
Just a few yards from the County, The Savoy hotel has put up a sign assuring guests it is not housing migrants.
In a warning to trouble-makers, it adds: “We need all the support we can get so please do not cause any upset for our current or future guests near or around our hotel.”
‘Holidays cancelled’
Julieanne Bunce has looked after guests at her North Parade Hotel for nearly 25 years.
She erected St George’s flags ahead of the protest march for fear of reprisals and says holidays are being cancelled amid the furore.
She said: “The coach companies have been organising holidays with me for 15 years but now they are trying to cancel them.”
She claimed English visitors are fuming over the migrants, saying: “One shouted he was going to firebomb my hotel because he thought there were refugees here.
“There’s a lot of trouble from visitors and locals.”
The St George’s flag billows outside The County Hotel where migrants live©Stephen Daniels
Next door to The County Hotel, residents have erected British flags©Stephen Daniels
The notice posted on the Savoy Hotel©Stephen Daniels
John Biddall, owner of The Vine Hotel Skegness, believes putting migrants in local hotels is wrong©Stephen Daniels
John Biddall, owner of The Vine Hotel, said he was appalled at the cost to taxpayers by the number of hotels taken over by the Home Office to house asylum seekers.
He said: “If they offered me £100,000 a day to put up migrants I would still refuse it out of principle, being an indigenous patriot.
“I have a daughter and a mother and I think that many migrants see women as second class citizens and do not respect women.
“I am not against migration. We need immigration. If they were legal I would employ some of them.
“But putting them up in hotels in Skegness is wrong. I have a couple of hotels here and five bars and Skegness is a family resort.
“Before they (migrants) arrived we didn’t have groups of men hanging around outside properties and smoking. They try to intimidate you just by looking.
“Why don’t they DNA them when they land in this country or tag them in some way.”
‘Whole town has suffered’
Allen Bell, president of Skegness Bowling Club, said the influx of migrants is ‘disgusting’©Stephen Daniels
Club members had to pay for signs to be erected on the popular greens to prevent migrants using the lawns for football©Stephen Daniels
Allen Bell, president of Skegness’ Sun Castle Bowling Club, described the influx as “disgusting”.
Club members had to pay for signs to be erected on the popular greens to prevent migrants using the lawns for football.
He said: “They were coming over to our greens and playing football so we put up signs to try to stop it.
“We even got leaflets in several different languages to post under their doors at the hotel to stay away.
“Having them here is stopping holidaymakers coming to Skegness.”
The owner of a neighbouring play area and function suite, who asked not to be named, said: “The whole town has suffered because of the reputational damage that has been caused.
“There used to be five or six hotels with them here.
I am not against migration. We need immigration. If they were legal I would employ some of them. But putting them up in hotels in Skegness is wrong
John Biddall
“We are a family destination and a traditional resort. Seafront hotels are not the place to be housing migrants.
“We do not know who they are. It has put people off visiting Skegness.
“People want to enjoy their holiday and feel safe. We have parents of kids asking about the migrants and if there have been any issues.”
Alan said the Lincolnshire town was given a boost post-Covid due to stay-at-home rules – but then migrants started arriving.
He said: “We have had organisers of music events who book the venue who ask us in advance what the situation is.”
‘It doesn’t feel safe’
Callum Sharratt, 27 (pictured with friend Emily Wells, 26) believes migrants ‘should all be in detention centres’©Stephen Daniels
Mum-of-three Kadie Scott says it doesn’t feel safe in the area anymore
Visitors to the resort are also worried about the arrivals.
Callum Sharratt, 27, from Leicester, said “migrants should all be in detention centres” while friend Emily Wells, 26, said: “I find it bizarre that so many of them coming here are men. There are hardly any women and kids.”
Mother-of-three from Sheffield, Kadie Scott, 34, said: “It doesn’t feel safe in Skegness anymore when you have kids and you have to watch them instead of letting them play in the arcades and at the paddling pool.”
Enjoying a family birthday reunion from their home in Staffordshire, Martin Calisi said: “It is a problem everywhere.
“The Government should send them straight back if they came over illegally. Who is going to pay for the hotel accommodation? Us, the taxpayers.
“I do at least 60 hours a week at work before I can sit down at home. They do it all day and get three meals a day. It is wrong.”
Meanwhile, those staying at the County Hotel, which includes people from Sudan and Egypt, say they have genuine claims.
Football coach Sobirov Ikrom, 43, from Uzbekistan, was returned to The Jungle encampment in Calais six times after French cops punctured inflatable boats with knives to stop the crossings.
Jobless Ikrom, now living in a shared house after leaving The County Hotel three months ago, was one of 50 migrants who were in a boat that capsized in the English Channel in August last year, leaving two dead.
He said: “I was able to swim. The water was cold but I got picked up and taken back to France. I know it’s wrong when people try to get into boats to come.
“I’m worried more will die but I am safe. I get £50 a week and the room is free. Thank you.
“I wanted to come to the UK for work. I have a bank account and the next step is to go to the job centre.”
The resort’s famous clock tower has been decorated with flags of St George
Mustafa Nizar, 44 fled the oil-rich Gulf state of Kuwait in 2014 amid rising political tensions.
He said: “I have not seen my children since then and all I want is to see them here.
“I am searching for a good life. I want a country for me and my children so they can go to school.”
Mustafa paid €1,200 to people smugglers in France for two failed attempts to get to the UK.
He claims he was left terrified during the second attempt when he expressed concern about 90 passengers being pushed on to a small vessel – and was threatened at gunpoint.
Mustafa told how locals lobbed an egg at the door of the hotel last week and how another started filming him when two women tried to strike up a conversation outside.
He said: “He wanted the women to talk to me so I would be filmed with them, then they could make an accusation about me. So I never spoke to them.”
I can’t go back to Syria. My father was killed there, so I applied to stay here
Youssef Aldaungha
Youssef Aldaungha, 21, was an information technology student at Durham Cathedral School until his visa ran out two years ago.
He has since been waiting for a Home Office interview to see if he can stay in Britain after fleeing from the Assad regime in Syria.
Youssef has been housed in various hotels in Swindon, London and Dover before being moved to Skegness and now lives in shared accommodation.
He said: “I can’t go back to Syria. My father was killed there, so I applied to stay here.”
A government spokesperson said: “We will continue to work closely with community partners across the country, and discuss any concerns they have, as we look to fix this broken system together and close every hotel by the end of this Parliament.
“The security of the local communities within which hotels are located will always be our first priority.”
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