East Lindsey District Council got a call earlier this year.
The company handling asylum seeker processing for the government wanted to temporarily house immigrants in the district, and they would be arriving within days.
There was little that the council – or residents – could do about it.
By November, there were over 200 immigrants claiming asylum being housed across five Skegness hotels and one in Boston.
Most came from war-torn countries such as Iraq or Afghanistan.
But the sudden influx was a shock for the seaside resort, which was more used to welcoming sunburnt and windswept tourists, and outrage spilled over in public meetings.
The tension was palpable as more than 300 people took their worries directly to MP Matt Warman at a meeting at the Storehouse.
The authorities were accused of turning Skegness into a “dumping ground” by taking advantage of the cheap hotel rates.
MP Matt Warman said the government was putting an unfair burden on Skegness | Photo: LDRS/Lincolnite
Mr Warman was often interrupted or heckled as he tried to address the concerns.
“The immigration system is creaking at the seams, and the government is using places like Skegness to prop it up,” he said, suggesting military bases would be more suitable.
But the level of anger and worry on display meant that many left the meeting unsatisfied.
One hotel owner warned: “People are already cancelling vacations to Skegness. What will the council do when all of the businesses go bust?”
An elderly resident who had run a hotel in Margate said the town had already been through the same experience, and “it died the same death that people are worried about here.”
Rumours flew of crimes that had supposedly been committed by asylum seekers.
But Lincolnshire Police said that if there had been a rise in offences, people weren’t reporting them.
Hundreds attended a meeting at the Storehouse about Skegness asylum seekers in hotels | Photo: LDRS/Lincolnite
There were also fears that Skegness’ tourism economy could be damaged for the foreseeable future.
East Lindsey District Council leader Craig Leyland said long-term use of the hotels should be out of the question so that Skegness could get back to normal soon.
The backlog of asylum applications was also blamed for long delays in new arrivals’ claims being processed.
The council confirmed that it was keeping a close eye on legal challenges to the Home Office, and was taking advice on potential legal action.
A newly-announced government proposal will look at alternative sites to house asylum seekers.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he was looking at how to reduce the pressure on places like Skegness.
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