We stay in Britain’s immigration hotspots – individuals flock right here for reasonable housing and good universities. But we concern our cities will change into overcrowded
Residents living in Britain’s immigration hotspots have urged Keir Starmer to stand up for their communities which they claim have been ‘overrun’.
The locals have revealed they fear losing access to services if the UK population keeps growing but nothing is done to increase provision.
The UK’s net immigration record was last month smashed again with 906,000 now thought to have been added to the population in a one-year period.
Huge revisions to official data show the extraordinary mark was hit in the year to June 2023 – and the figures remain at historically unprecedented levels.
Residents in working-class towns that have seen the highest uptick in numbers say people are drawn to their areas because of cheap housing and good universities.
Middlesbrough – home to roughly 150,000 people – was this summer named as being the council most-affected by immigration, registering an influx of just shy of 6,800 international migrants throughout 2023.
The ONS‘s most up-to-date figures, therefore, imply international migration last year alone accounted for roughly 4.4 per cent of Middlesbrough’s total population.
Similarly high figures were logged in Coventry (4.3 per cent) and Newham in London (3.9 per cent).
Stephen Edwards, also 73, a former steel worker, lives a stone’s throw from Middlesbrough town centre
Chris Philips, 69, has lived in Coventry for the last 30 years and says the area has gone downhill in the last few years
Middlesbrough – home to roughly 150,000 people – was this summer named as being the council most-affected by immigration, registering an influx of just shy of 6,800 international migrants throughout 2023
Coventry: Residents living in Britain’s immigration hotspots have urged Keir Starmer to stand up for their communities
Some locals in Middlesbrough, which has the highest rate of arrivals per capita in the country, believe migrants have flocked to their town due to cheap housing.
Stephen Unthank, 36, lives in nearby Hartlepool and said the area is ‘overrun’ with new arrivals.
The factory worker, who is a regular visitor to Middlesbrough, said: ‘The numbers do not surprise me at all.
‘I have seen it rise with my own eyes and I think they are getting really high.
‘This area is overrun with people coming in and I heard that a lot of houses around here are being done up to move people up from London.
‘It’s so cheap around here compared to London so I think that is why we’re seeing more and more.
‘It could affect younger people wanting to get on the housing ladder.
‘I want the Government to help the local people more. For example, it took my mother four-and-a-half weeks to get a doctor’s appointment recently.
‘She suffers from health problems and we should be doing more to look after people like her.’
Peter Honeyman, 73, from Middlesbrough, fears the rise of people coming into the town could hold back local youngsters.
The retired scaffolder said: ‘I am not surprised. I have seen a difference with the amount of people coming in.
Stephen Unthank, 36, lives near Middlesbrough and said the area is ‘overrun’ with new arrivals
Peter Honeyman, 73, of Middlesbrough, fears the rise of people coming into the town could hold back local youngsters
‘There are certain areas that have the biggest influxes and we are one of them.
‘Property is cheaper and they are building more houses in the town centre where immigrants are being housed.
‘Middlesbrough is lacking in opportunity as it is anyway so it could affect younger people moving forward.
‘But I do think the youth of today don’t look for work as much as they did regardless.’
He added: ‘It doesn’t matter which Government is in, they all have the same problem.’
Stephen Edwards, also 73, a former steel worker, lives a stone’s throw from the town centre.
He said: ‘I’m not against people migrating but I think Middlesbrough is becoming overcrowded now.
‘I have seen the issue steadily get worse for decades – it’s nothing new.
‘I think we are too soft and I want to see Labour do more to help address it.
‘Young people might find it harder to buy a house so there will be knock on effects of this.
‘The town has gone right downhill in general and there is less work.
‘There needs to be more done to help the people of the town find jobs.’
He added: ‘Middlesbrough is an easy place to put people so it doesn’t surprise me.’
Furniture salesman Anthony Pratt, 27, said that the area is far cheaper to move to than the Midlands or London.
He said: ‘Over the years the numbers have definitely gone up here.
‘The Government should be prioritising help to everyday people like me, your brothers, your sisters, your gran.
Some locals in Middlesbrough, which has the highest rate of arrivals per capita in the country, believe migrants have flocked to their town due to cheap housing
‘The cost of living here is a lot less than other towns and cities and that is why people are migrating here.
‘If you buy a house compared to the Midlands or London it will be an awful lot less money.
‘It’s going to put people off wanting to work for a country that is not benefiting them.’
Dennis Jones said he was left with no option but to move to the North East from his home town of Ramsgate, Kent, due to issues with immigration.
The 66-year-old former tree surgeon said: ‘A definite factor in why Middlesbrough’s numbers are so high is because the rents are cheap.
‘This country puts the migrants in all of the poorest places.
‘I am here because of immigration. I couldn’t get a home in my own town.
Residents Middlesbrough dubbed the UK’s biggest immigration hotspot have called on Labour to do more to tackle the issue
In Coventry, the population has increased from 316,915 to 360,702 between 2011 and 2023, a rise of 12 per cent
Dennis, who has multiple health issues, said: ‘I haven’t seen my doctor in four years.
‘I have asked to see someone closer because I’m six miles away but they can’t. That issue isn’t going to get any easier.’
In Coventry, the population has increased from 316,915 to 360,702 between 2011 and 2023, a rise of 12 per cent.
Last year the number of new migrants to the city made up a total of 4.31 per cent of the population, MailOnline’s calculations implied.
Chris Philips, 69, has lived in Coventry for the last 30 years and says the area has gone downhill in the last few years.
A former civil servant, he said: ‘It was brilliant before. I’m from Rochester in Kent originally.
‘You’ve got lovely people, but a lot of foreigners have come over and a lot of prisoners have been let out.
‘I love it here. Some people are very helpful, especially since we lost our winter payment. You’ve got all the charities and all those people helping.
‘It was and sort of is a lovely place. Some parts of it aren’t nice anymore, it definitely has got worse.’
Steve, 55, a lifelong Coventry local, said: ‘Coventry has changed, a lot of it. There’s a lot of students and ethnic minorities coming over. But we respect them.
‘It’s changed for the generations that are older than us, it’s completely different for them.
Over the past financial year, 690 new homes were started while a further 730 were completed in Coventry
‘The town centre used to be better how it was before. It’s all money these days. No one enjoys it here. If you go in Coventry town centre, it used to be happy. Especially at Christmas.
‘Now it’s all orientated around students. Crime is bad all over, too. It’s changed a hell of a lot.
‘There’s a lot of students, it’s all over, but it’s not an issue for me. We respect them.’
Bar worker Rory Stephenson, 24, said that even though the area had gone downhill, it was still a pleasant place.
He said: ‘Don’t get me wrong, it’s not an amazing city and it has got worse in the years I’ve been an adult.
‘But I don’t think it’s an immigration thing, I just think it’s a poverty thing.
‘We’ve got loads of homeless people on most corners in the city centre and that can make crime worse.
‘Coming from the suburbs of the city you do notice the problems more so, but it isn’t a bad thing.
Heather Hearne, 71, (right) is a retired admin worker at the university of Coventry. She said the area was brilliantly multicultural but it was just a lack of government funding bringing the area down
Some 54.2 per cent of patients being referred to a consultant at the local NHS trust in Coventry receive their first appointment within 18 weeks
‘Some parts are improving, especially the night life. I think the university helps with that, too.’
Heather Hearne, 71, is a retired admin worker at the university of Coventry. She said the area was brilliantly multicultural but the city had just become run down.
She said: ‘It’s not friendly anymore. When you come in here and the shops are so bad, it’s not welcoming to anybody on the outside coming in.
‘The shops have changed. It’s like any town centre now, they’ve gone downhill fast, because of the rates.
‘There’s a lack of independent shops.
‘I don’t come here in the evening so I wouldn’t know. A few people from my church do night pasturing. They don’t have any problem.
‘We worked for the uni and it’s a nice multicultural environment. A lot of my age and over don’t think like that. Some have that old fashioned bit, and want it the way it was years ago.
‘You’ve got to change with what’s on. And I’ve met some lovely people.
‘There’s a community here. You do keep your friends and make new ones.’
Ali, 31, praised the area for its multicultural routes. He said: ‘You know we’ve had the city of culture in 2023, that was good.
‘As much as there are problems here, there’s the same problems everywhere else. The shopping landscape has changed, the town centre, but the people are good as ever.
‘Everyone gets on with everyone. For the most part, people don’t see colour or creed here, which is handy. I think it’s such an attractive city to people because we’re so diverse.’
