It is a magnet for holidaymakers. It also has a complex relationship with migration. The seaside town Bournemouth on the southern coast of England has, like many other places, dominated the news with anti-immigration protesters clashing with hundreds of those in favour of immigration. The tensions have sparked as three hotels just a walking distance from Bournemouth’s beach – Chine Hotel, Roundhouse Hotel, and Britannia Hotel – have been closed to tourists for over a year after being taken over by the Home Office. Together, the hotels have been reserved for people seeking aylum in the UK.
Amidst the tensions, a video report by Sky News shows Bournemouth locals talking about their sentiments. Some residents say it’s always been a multicultural place. But for those who voted for Britain to leave the EU, the reality isn’t what they expected. “The whole atmosphere of the place has changed,” said one resident, adding that it makes her feel “uncomfortable” to hear so many foreign languages in the town. When confronted with the question “why”, it was difficult for her to answer – but seeing more non-British people around the town was something she couldn’t ignore.
The town’s shifting demographics are evident. Between the 2011 and 2021 censuses, Bournemouth’s non-British-born population grew by 47%. UK net migration – the difference between the number of people entering the UK (immigration) and the number leaving the UK (emigration) – has continued to rise sharply since.
The Sky News reporter went to the Cumberland Hotel, where, before Brexit, the majority of workforce were EU citizens, many from Eastern Europe. Its general manager said a lot of them had to leave because of Brexit. A lot of the new workforce now is from South Asia, he said. One of the interviewed workers was a barista from India, who came to the UK on a student visa. He said that after Brexit, there were less Europeans, which meant the opportunity for him to get a good job in the UK, to upgrade his life to a “good life”. A Polish local, who worked at the hotel nine years ago and is now self-employed, still lives in Bournemouth. She said that places in hospitality are still taken by migrants, just from different countries.
The video also covered protests outside of a hotel with asylum seekers, who cannot work in the UK until they receive a decision on their claim. While one protester said that the situation “makes you feel like it’s not England any more”, a counter-protester said that Bournemouth has always been a place where foreign language students.