Support among young people in Northern Ireland for refugees and asylum seekers has fallen, according to a new report.
Research has found that last year just over half (55%) of respondents agreed “it is our duty to provide protection to refugees who are escaping persecution in their home country”.
But it marks a decrease from 63% in 2023. It also represents a fall in support from when when the research was first carried out in 2017 when 60% of respondents agreed.
The findings in the Young People’s Attitudes to Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Northern Ireland 2024 report were published by the Executive Office on Wednesday.
The report analyses data from the Young Life and Times survey, examining attitudes to refugees and asylum seekers among 16-year-olds in Northern Ireland.
A total of 2,210 valid responses were received, with the latest survey sample taken from the Child Benefit register, which contains information on all children for whom benefit is claimed.
The research also reveals that the proportion of respondents who agreed that Northern Ireland is a society that welcomes refugees escaping persecution in their home country increased significantly between 2017, the first year of the time series, and last year rising from 25% to 43%.
Over one-third (36%) of respondents in 2024 agreed that they would like more opportunities to get to know asylum seekers or refugees.
However, the report found it marked a “significant decrease” from 44% in 2023.
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.
Last year’s findings also show that 63% of respondents agreed that people’s perceptions of refugees and asylum seekers are negatively affected by the media.