The imbalance in the British immigration system has caused many problems in British society, on top of which is fueling the feelings of hatred raised by the far-right against asylum seekers across Britain.
In an article published by the "Sunday Times", writer Josh Glancey said that the Chatsworth Hotel, located on the beach in Skegness, is one of 4 hotels in the city that house more than 200 asylum seekers who came from Syria, Iran and Eritrea, which angered many local residents and embodied the great imbalance in the system. immigration in Britain;
Where young refugees sit outside their hotels smoking and causing trouble in the absence of work for them and their lack of proficiency in the English language.
The writer stated that the reception of the residents of Skegness to these refugees was very cold, at best;
Ann, 61, was quoted as saying: "It's not the right direction. They're getting free bedding and free food. Now they're all standing staring at me."
The writer stated that, based on all rights, these resort hotels should not exist;
Its existence indicates a flaw in the legal system, explaining that it costs very expensive out-of-pocket bills of $5.6 million a day, which has fueled anger among local communities, as well as increased xenophobic sentiments, which have been amplified. by far-right groups such as the National Alternative Party.
According to the author, this anger caused trouble outside the Suites Hotel in Knowsley, Liverpool 9 days earlier;
Fifteen people were arrested during protests encouraged by far-right elements, following the release of a video showing a young man who appeared to be an asylum-seeker trying to date an underage girl.
The writer added that this same anger also spread to Skegness, which turned into a worse place in 3 consecutive years.
However, tourism still exists, due to the availability of cheap hotels in the city, which made it a magnet for hotels for asylum seekers.
These hotels are allowed to deal with third-party companies such as Serco, which books accommodation on behalf of the government;
As there is a legal obligation to have an acceptable financial funding ceiling for every asylum seeker who goes there.
The writer indicated that more than 72,000 asylum applications were submitted in Britain last year until September, which is more than double the number of applications submitted in 2019;
Almost all of them came on small boats crossing the English Channel;
There is not even nearly enough subsidized housing to accommodate all these people, so the State Department resorts to hotels as an emergency and last resort.
The writer explained that the emergency policy for asylum seekers, as with the recent bureaucratic shelters, is rapidly turning into a long-term reality, as asylum seekers spend weeks and months in what is supposed to be emergency housing, but the number of housing of this type has increased during the epidemic, from 2577 in March 2020 to 37 thousand and 142 in September 2022, occupying more than 200 hotels.
He added that the Home Office website still claims that asylum seekers will usually receive a decision on their claims within 6 months, but a report by the Refugee Council in 2021 found that the average initial decision takes between one and three years.
The writer quoted Margaret Roach, who runs Knowsley Shar, a charity that helps asylum seekers at the Suites Hotel, as saying: “It is common for us to wait more than two years to interview them, which is devastating to the soul, as you watch their mental health deteriorate in front of them.” your eyes."
And the writer continued that Roche was unable to reach the Suites this week, because the local atmosphere was now very hostile, as a curfew had been imposed, but she showed WhatsApp messages sent by some of the young people inside;
One minute said, "One minute they're throwing money at us, the next minute they're spitting at us." Another said, "They passed us on bikes and harassed us. Nothing can destroy us like grief."
And the writer considered that not all fears are based on bigotry. At the Savoy Hotel, many, like others in Skegness, feel frustrated that there was no warning when the hotels were created;
They were surprised, on a Sunday evening in November, by the arrival of two or three buses with asylum seekers.
They complained to local councils and MPs that they were shocked by the sudden appearance of asylum hotels next to their homes.
The writer pointed out that something worse is on the rise, which is the spread of violence against immigrants by the far-right, who attacked asylum hotels 253 times last year.
Some pretended to be journalists in order to approach hotels to offend staff and residents.
Skegness Facebook groups flared up with anti-immigrant comments calling for them to be sent back to where they came from, and a banner outside the County Hotel housing asylum seekers read: "England for the English - stop the white genocide".
The writer stated that a "enough is enough" march was planned for Saturday, along the coastal city's facade;
The National Alternative Party plans to have locals participate, and the Interior Ministry has expressed concern about the march, although similar events are not organized in the area.
The writer saw that much of the anger in Skegness is focused on the hotel owners, who have benefited wonderfully from the government's desperation;
Where Allen says that she was offered twice to hand over her hotel to the government, for $ 10,000 a week, or half a million pounds annually, but she refused, and said: “It was very tempting, it is not like we were millionaires or anything else, except that we did not We do it because we don't want to contribute to the madness that's going on."
He continued that others have been able to turn the situation in their favour.
One company - H&H - described as "opportunistic" by Craig Leyland, leader of East Lindsey County Council - bought four Skegness waterfront hotels and handed them over to Circo, after purchase, to operate.
The writer pointed out that, of course, not all Skegness residents feel challenged by their new neighbours;
Where a local organization welcomed asylum seekers and held many social events for them.
"These hotels have brought to light some of the ugliness in the city, but the silent majority are very welcoming to them, nice normal people fleeing bad countries," said Dominic Keene, 53, a tractor salesman.
"If the young people in these hotels were white, whether they were from Latvia or Ukraine, would there be this level of opposition?! I don't think that would happen," he asked.