Neil Hadlock sculpture depicting migrants from Northern Europe at Hull Marina. (Image: Leanne Hall)

One of the UK’s most historic ports that’s welcomed migrants for centuries fears a recent dramatic influx is changing their city forever. Nestled on England’s East Coast, Hull has a rich past as a major port of entry for migrants, particularly in the late 19th and early 20th centuries – as travelled to America from Europe but ended up settling here instead – with a sculpure at Hull marina depicting migrants on their way to a new life in the US.

The UK’s foreign-born population doubled in the first two decades of this century to nine million and in Hull, the 2021 Census revealed that 34,962 residents were born outside the UK, a 60 per cent increase in 10 years. The number from Romania, for example, soared from 200 to 3,602 — but in truth the migrants have come to Hull from a wide range of countries.

Image of a homeless man in Hull over Christmas (Image: Donna Clifford/HullLive)

Last summer the historic port city was thrust into the national spotlight for all the wrong reasons, as shop windows were smashed in and bricks hurled at mosques.

In April this year the Daily Express returned to see how those riots – and ongoing tensions over karge nunmbers of migrants – had started reshaping the still shellshocked city.

But now in June some locals fear their vital services are at breaking point and the Labour Government is putting their needs “at the bottom of the pile”.

Gran-of-three Lisa Roberts, 43, told The Sun: “My son and his girlfriend live in a tiny third-storey flat with their three children. There’s damp and mould and it’s no place for kids to be living.

“They’ve struggled for years to get the council to find a more suitable property but they are always told there’s nothing available. Other people seemed to be getting put first, ahead of the people who actually live here.”

Lisa, a former Labour voter, said she had been stuck on a three-year waiting list to see an NHS dentist and struggles to access her GP.

She added: “I understand that many migrants have come from difficult situations but we need to start putting the people of this country first.

“We are looking after a lot of people but nobody is helping us. All we are asking for is fairness.”

One of the symbolic centres of Hull’s migrant influx is the Royal Hotel, where in years past happy families would gather to celebrate weddings and christenings.

Queen Victoria once stayed there and it was popular with tourists. However, for the past five years it has put up migrants and last summer became the flashpoint for riots.

Former factory worker Stuart Whittaker — made homeless in February when his landlord suddenly sold up — told The Sun: “I’m sleeping in cheap hotels when I can afford it, and I’m having to rely on mates to bail me out.

“Meanwhile, asylum seekers are being put up in the Royal for free, with three meals a day thrown in.

“The council and the Government are more interested in putting them up than helping me. There’s just no help for people like me. It’s like the local people have been shoved to the back of the queue.”

Stuart, 37, added: “I’m losing everything bit by bit. I just don’t see a way out.”

Stuart’s friend Kevin Thompson, 67, has had to rack up credit card debts to keep his pal off the streets.

He said: “Stuart’s been told there’s no help, no housing — but somehow they’ve got hundreds of migrants living in a hotel fit for a queen.

“The Royal was a landmark building. Something needs to be done.”

The cost of filling up so many UK hotels with asylum seekers and caring for them was running at an annual £4.7billion in recent 2023/24 figures — more than 10 times the 10-year estimate when deals started being signed in 2019.

Olympian Luke Campbell speaks after being elected as mayor of Hull and East Yorkshire (Image: Donna Clifford/Hull Live)

At the Royal Hotel, a stone’s throw from the main rail station, around 70 per cent of the migrants are men. Many gather outside to smoke.

Anxious local mechanic Laura Maundrill, 33, said: “I do find it intimidating walking past there.

“Young men just look you up and down and make kissing noises. They’ll whistle, like you would if you were calling a dog over. It makes me feel really awkward.”

While pub worker Tara Clappison, also 33, added: “I find it quite uncomfortable to be honest.

“You walk past and you can feel them all looking at you. It’s quite degrading as a woman. Especially when it is in the centre of your own city.”

The concern at the influx of mainly young jobless men to Hull was revealed at last month’s mayoral elections when Olympic gold medallist boxer Luke Campbell won Hull and East Yorkshire for Reform UK.

The 37-year-old retired southpaw swapped the boxing ring for a career in politics after 24 fights as a bantamweight puncher.

He became the first mayor of the devolved local government body covering the city of Hull and the East Riding of Yorkshire – representing more than 610,000 people.

Campbell, who is a local lad from Hull, received 48,491 votes in East Yorkshire, putting him 10,981 ballots ahead of Liberal Democrat Mike Ross in second.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage predicted Campbell would sweep the vote in Hull and East Yorkshire – while Reform’s deputy leader Richard Tice said of the boxer-turned-politician: “He’ll have a common sense approach to bringing people together and a bullish vision for Hull and East Yorkshire.

“The sport of boxing requires courage, tenacity, bravery, which Luke has in huge abundance. He will rise to the challenge, he’ll have good people around him and he’ll be very successful.”

Campbell, who retired from boxing in 2021, only announced he would be running for mayor in late February.

The former Dancing on Ice competitor, who received an MBE in 2013, spoke about being “truly humbled and honoured” in his victory speech.

He stressed: “Hull and East Yorkshire gave me everything, they supported me my whole career. I want to give back, I’m one of the people of this region and I want to stand up and fight for what the people want.”

Yet despite the high social tensions in Hull, some locals in the city are sympathetic to the migrants’ plight.

Paul Salisbury, 54, said: “The Royal used to be smart. It looks good from the outside but it’s gone to rack and ruin inside now.

“A lot of people have issues with migrants being housed there but I want to give everyone a chance. All that hotel is good for now is housing asylum seekers.

“It’s not like they’re staying in suites at The Hilton. We have no idea what the people there have fled from or what their reasons are for coming across.”

Anyone trying to book a room on The Royal’s website is met with the message: “Sorry, Royal Hotel Hull does not have rooms available for your selected dates. Why not try another arrival date?”