Statistics released by the Executive Office have revealed that support for immigration among young people has dropped.
The findings were revealed by the Executive and are based on the 2024 Young Life and Times (YLT) survey which examines attitudes to refugees and asylum seekers among 16-year-olds in Northern Ireland.
According to the statistics the number of young people who agree that “it is our duty to provide protection to refugees” escaping persecution has seen a significant drop.
In 2024, just over half (55%) of 16-year-olds in Northern Ireland surveyed agreed with that statement.
This is compared to 63% in 2023, and also marks a drop from 60% in 2017 when the research first began.
The number of young people who say they would like more opportunities to get to know asylum seekers or refugees has also seen a significant drop.
According to the figures published on Wednesday, this has dropped from 44% in 2023 to just over one-third (36%) in 2024.
The number of young people who agreed that Northern Ireland is a society that welcomes refugees escaping persecution in their home country almost doubled between 2017 to 2024 (from 25% to 43%).
In 2024, just over one-half (51%) of respondents agreed that asylum seekers should have the same access to employment as the rest of the Northern Ireland population.
While 63% of young people who responded agreed that people’s perceptions of refugees and asylum seekers are negatively affected by the media.
News Catch Up – Wednesday 26 February