Immigration on my doorstep & confused

[Averagemumessex]

Hi,

I am a nervous, frightened, confused and truth seeking uk Mum.

I was born in Archway North London as the youngest child of legal Irish Migrants in the 80’s.
Mum and Dad lived in private small room rentals whilst on a waiting list for a council house. Dad worked on the buildings and Mum took care of us and later worked in a school. They were labour voters and often had the odd wink or joke about the posh English conservative neighbours.

Looking back we were probably exposed to mild anti British attitudes in the sense we thought the ‘pure’ English were rich, posh and looked down on us. However we all loved Princess Diana, the red arrows, ham egg and chips.

Mum said the day she got our council house she felt like she won the lottery. They paid rent on it but it was ‘our’ home. They kept it impeccably clean and well presented. Dad painted the front every few years and mum had beautiful flowers on the window sills. They were thankful for it. Us siblings toed the line, not one of us was ever in trouble with school or the law. Mum and dad told us we had opportunities they didn’t have and we had to do our best in life. Dad would tell me this as I plucked splinters from his rough hands. My brother kicked a ball in the Scottish neighbours garden and Dad told them to keep it to teach him a lesson. They wanted us to be good citizens.

We had a catholic community around us which was obviously lacking diversity in religion but not race. As a kid I really enjoyed the church ‘international evenings’ a celebration of all the cultures and races. Tasting lots of different global foods was exciting and watching all the kids from my school perform different traditional dances with their parents on stage was a beautiful melting pot of modern community.

What I am trying to say is I grew up the child of an immigrant, I am aware of the hand outs my parents received (they did always pay council rent) but did get a roof over our heads. Racism was something we hated.

I was educated in a fantastic all girls senior school, my friends were all colours, I didn’t even notice who was from where, they were my friends. We played with the girls from the corner shop who were Hindu, they brought us back presents from their homelands as we did for them when we visited Ireland once a year.

The families on our road were Irish, Turkish, Nigerian, Cypriot, Filipino, Greek, we knew them all and got along well. Looking back now I wonder how did the English who also lived there feel?

I took the loan and went to uni and studied hard, I found a job in the city in finance. All 4 of us siblings worked from the age of 16 part time alongside education. Then we all got full time jobs and paid taxes.

We married and looked to buy our own small homes. Mum and dad were so proud of us with this accomplishment. The 4 walls of our council home were all they needed. Dad died age 56, mum moved to a one bedroom council flat and is happy there.

Fast forward and I met a husband who was indeed pure English and married and we started a family. Living in London was not an option as too expensive.
We moved to the suburbs of Chelmsford. I took a part time job in a local dr surgery and my husband continued to work in London.

He has a well paid job but works long and hard for it. He wakes at 4:30 daily and leaves the house by 4:50 to be at his West London workplace and working by 7am. He arrives home from work at 6:45pm.
The length of his working day means I took a local job to be able to raise our two children.
We would have liked more children but we decided we couldn’t afford more. Both of our parents are elderly so I raised the children with some help from friends.

I am trying my best to bring them up well, I am reading with them doing spellings, badly baking cakes for sales and help pta where I can. I want the world to be a great place for them to grow in.

We both pay all taxes and have a 3 bedroom semi detached home with a mortgage for another 25 yrs at least.
We used to have an annual holiday to Portugal but won’t be next year due to budget, we are hoping to go to Norfolk instead. Not complaining just a noticed adjustment for us.

We have a lovely life, our children do sports, we have noticed a squeeze on our finances but overall we are very lucky with all we have.

We love Chelmsford and its amenities for families. We chose it over my husband’s hometown of Southend as it felt safer.
My eldest daughter is now at senior school in Chelmsford and doing well.

I have watched the news over the last few years and aware of the migrant crisis and small boat crossings. I am aware of some of the big names in it. I remember the heartbreak I felt when I saw the little body of the Syrian boy washed ashore. I would have loved to have helped that poor little soul.
Our school did a fundraiser for humanity washed shore and we all wanted to help in some way.

However over the last 6 months I have noticed the huge increase of migrants in my town of Chelmsford. It’s really impossible not to notice as there are large groups of men hanging around the high street and parks.
It’s the scale that is just really hard to ignore, groups of 100 men together is intimidating.
I always believed myself not to be racist but I suddenly feel uneasy walking through such large groups of these men.

In honesty I would feel the same if they were white British men just hanging around in those numbers.

My daughters like the freedom to pop to boots or any other high street shop while I might do the food shop. I suddenly feel this is not an option. I would feel really uncomfortable with letting an 11 yr old and 15 year old walk through the crowds of men. I try to rationalise it but it’s my mothering gut instinct telling me it’s unsafe.

My husband feels the same and tells me to watch the girls even more due to the influx of these men hanging around. I want to allow my girls freedom but the high street has over night become a no go area for them without me. Even with me there it feels I want to quickly get out of town. Last year it was still a lovely town.

I want to know how my friends feel about it but I am so fearful of being branded a racist that I don’t want to ask.

I have voted both labour and conservative in the past depending on which person was leading. However right now I don’t feel any of them represent me here stuck in the middle!

I respect people’s varying opinions but I wouldn’t really hang a Union Jack flag on my house. I believe those that do have a right to be proud of their country though.

I know racism is a horrible experience and that I am lucky enough to have not experienced it.
However this migration crisis is now here, on my doorstep and I can’t help feeling frightened by it for myself and my daughters.

I today was sent a video of a new apartment block for migrants who arrived in the country 3 days ago. It is next to the leisure center my girls love to go to with their friends.
I feel uneasy and confused.
This is along with two other large hotels for migrants in town.

I really don’t believe all of the people that I see hanging around are fleeing from unsafe places.

I am watching my husband and I pay more and more tax for these men to be given apartments instantly. I would like to know who voted for this? Was it me without even knowing about it?

Am I racist for feeling intimidated by the amount of men hanging around my town?

I sure would like to help those really in need but seeing the videos has made me wonder if there is a media coverup. Are middle of the road people like me being forced to stay quiet due to fear of being branded racist? Before I would have thought these videos are scaremongering but now I am seeing it first hand I know the scale is true.

Are we allowed to to ask why this is happening on the scale it is happening?

Am I am hypocrite as my family lived in a council property?
Or is this different? It feels different, the pace, scale and secrecy feels different.

I wonder how other children of immigrants like me feel about current immigration. The children of all the nationalities that I grew up with, how do they feel now they have grown up in the uk like me.

Are a lot more people worried than I know about ? Am I over reacting?

Who do I vote for ?

I can’t believe I would ever say this but some of the facts Nigel Farage says are agreeing with my thoughts.
How do we know these men who are freely walking around our towns?

I don’t want to protest in the streets as I don’t identify with the left or the right but instead I am here stuck in the middle wondering who is with me!

The funny thing is that we can all spot it. It's so well written but there's just something not quite right. What is it? It's not even something a journalist would write. Too earnest??

Yes I can, perhaps I took time to write out my factual story though. Thanks for pointing it out however I really was just here to find out how other Mums like me felt about the situation.

I think it’s because it uses ALL THE TRICKS. The storytelling style structure. The rule of three. The ‘and now I’m going to ask a question to bring a reflective tone’.

Got to admit, even I was surprised just how close it was to the OP. Dad’s greasy hands and all.

There was a police operation in July 2025 in Chelmsford (and Maldon) to check the welfare and legal status of people working in some businesses. Eight people were arrested on suspicion of immigration offences. Essex Police
The police announced that most businesses visited showed “no causes for concern.” Essex Police

There is no reporting in credible local or national news sources that dozens or hundreds of undocumented migrants congregate daily on Chelmsford’s main shopping streets.

Local church and diocesan messaging has expressed concern about the use of misinformation to sow fear in communities about asylum seekers.

Why the claim is likely false or exaggerated:

• If such a large group of people (hundreds) were regularly gathering, one would expect local media, council, or police statements to comment on it explicitly, either to confirm or deny. I found none.
• The logistics and risks of remaining in public in such numbers without drawing attention make such a scenario implausible.
• Misinformation and exaggeration about migrants or asylum seekers gathering in public spaces is unfortunately common in political or social debates.

The funniest thing is that you are all wrong with whatever you think you can spot.

No don't worry OP I wasn't talking about you. I am happy to believe you. It was the similar ChatGPT that @SoScarletItWas posted that I meant has something funny about it.

Can you find anything on the busses that bus immigrants in from the migrant hotel near Wethersfield?
Now is the bus is full that is around 60 men, the bus then comes back later to pick them all up. What do you think they do for the hours they are in Chelmsford town? Please take a trip and look for yourself.

Sorry, just English A level!

Back then, ah were a council estate lad up North — me dad on shifts down’t factory, me mam cleanin’ at school just roond corner. We ‘ad nowt much, but we ‘ad summat solid, aye. Everyone knew each other, proper like. We were allus playin’ out on street — Kirby off t’kerb, British Bulldog till it went black owt, then we’d leg it ‘ome soon as we ‘eard t’ice cream van goin’ (which were an’ all me mam’s bell for tea).

I asked it to sound more Yorkshire.

English Alevel 1991. There was a bit of rough in Return of the Native tbf now I think of it. Country life on the moors. Maybe that's where the splinters idea came from?

It will be a shame when this thread inevitably goes poof, it’s been an amusing evening.

What they’re likely doing in Chelmsford (for those hours)

Based on local services and guidance, typical reasons to travel into town include:

• Shopping / errands (cheaper groceries, phone top-ups, etc.). This is implied by the shuttle’s purpose to nearby towns. GOV.UK
• Advice and case support (e.g., British Red Cross refugee support drop-ins in Chelmsford; Citizens Advice). chelmsfordconnects.org.uk+1
• English (ESOL) classes and community groups (e.g., Ideas Hub/Chelmsford Integration Project runs ESOL and integration activities). NACCOM+1
• Job-readiness / employability sessions (e.g., Refugee Employability Programme listings in Chelmsford). chelmsfordconnects.org.uk
• Health or other appointments (the Home Office notes transport is provided when needed).

Back then, ah were a council estate lad up North — me dad on shifts down’t factory, me mam in her grubby pinny, cleanin’ at school just roond corner. We ‘ad nowt much, but we ‘ad summat solid, aye. Everyone knew each other, proper like. We were allus playin’ out on street — Kirby off t’kerb, British Bulldog till it went black owt, then we’d leg it ‘ome soon as we ‘eard t’ice cream van goin’ (which were an’ all me mam’s bell for tea). Later on, ah’d sit pickin’ splinters out o’ me dad’s fingers while telly buzzed soft in corner — day’s graft still written all ower his hands.

I forgot to mention the splinters at first.

Well done you.

It was a good story.

In those days, I was but a modest boy from a council estate in the North. My father worked long shifts at the factory, while my mother, in her well-worn apron, cleaned classrooms at the school just around the corner. We possessed very little in the way of material comfort, yet what we had was firm, dependable — something of true worth. Everyone knew one another, in that neighbourly manner which seems so rare now. We would spend our days playing in the street — tossing a ball from the kerb, engaging in endless games of British Bulldog until darkness fell — then hurrying home the moment we heard the familiar chime of the ice cream van (which, incidentally, was also my mother’s signal that supper was ready). Later in the evening, I would sit beside my father, gently removing splinters from his work-worn hands, while the soft hum of the television filled the room — the day’s labour still etched across his skin.

I wrote this myself in the style of Her Majesty the Queen.

I think this is good squandering of AI servers’ energies:

In those days, I was but a modest young tom, born among the crumbling bricks and rusted fences of a council estate in the North. My human — the tall one with the weary eyes and scent of sawdust — spent his days in the factory, returning each evening with hands that smelled of oil and iron. The other, the gentler one with flour-dusted fingers and a voice like warm milk, would vanish in the mornings and return just before dusk, trailing scents of chalk dust and stale lunchboxes from the school nearby.

We had little by way of luxuries — no gold bowls or velvet cushions — but what we did have was solid, warm, and constant. The air carried familiar smells, familiar footsteps. Everyone knew everyone — a chorus of voices, boots, and barking dogs that filled the street like birdsong.

By day, I would lounge in the sun, tail flicking as the children chased one another in endless games, their shrieks echoing off brick walls. A ball would sometimes roll near, and I’d bat it back with lazy indifference, pretending not to care. When the strange, tinkling song of the ice cream van floated through the air, the little humans would scatter, and I’d watch from the wall as they darted home — always just before supper.

Later, as darkness settled, I’d curl beside the tall one in his chair, kneading his tired limbs, the scent of toil still clinging to his skin. The box in the corner hummed softly — light flickering over the room — and I purred, content in the quiet rhythm of a life both humble and full.

It certainly has given much food for thought. Although what thoughts I can't easily tell.

Immigrant family benefit from UK life, then pull up the ladder when others do the same.

Yes, that did cross my mind. I wondered did the English feel the same when the Irish arrived on mass. It’s all crossed my mind believe me, doesn’t stop me from feeling uneasy about letting my daughters walk through them though. I am conflicted for sure.

That I do agree with!

I have been looking for any reporting about 100/up to 100 men hanging around outside M&S Chelmsford. No success. @WildJoy hasn't found anything and neither have I.

Genuine question OP. Have you, or any member of your family personally been impacted in a negative way by the 'M&S hanger abouters'. I mean, has there been any crime, intimidation or anything else of the sort directed at you and yours? I would have imagined you would have said so if there has.

If not, do you not think that you might be watching too much GBTV and getting inordinately wound up about a bogey man that doesn't impact you at all or indeed exist?

No, no crime being committed so yes perhaps I am as you say being wound up by the media. Perhaps these men are no threat at all. It does make me feel rather uncomfortable though.

I have however witnessed the men today and a lot of other days over the past 6 months so they do indeed exist. Increasing in numbers in particularly the last few weeks.

I appreciate perhaps I should have posted on a Chelmsford group instead as you might well be out of the area and are looking for online confirmation. I do find it strange it’s not being reported on in the mainstream media.

I looked on ‘X’ and could find the piece about the apartments. Some comments under that from locals support my observations.

Ps I don’t watch GBTV

Have you a link? All my search results are 2023. And the top one is GBTV. Admittedly I’m not searching on X as it’s an utter hellscape.