Attitudes to Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Northern Ireland 2025
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The Executive Office today published the ‘Attitudes to Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Northern Ireland 2025’ report.
This report analyses data from the Northern Ireland Life and Times (NILT) survey, examining public attitudes to refugees and asylum seekers in Northern Ireland.
Key Findings
- For five of the six statements analysed in this report, agreement fell to its lowest recorded level in 2025. For each of these five statements, the percentage agreeing in 2025 was statistically significantly lower than in every previous year in which the question was asked.
- In 2025, just under one half (49%) of respondents agreed that asylum seekers should be allowed to stay in Northern Ireland - significantly lower than the corresponding figure for each year from 2018 to 2024.
- Just over one quarter (27%) of respondents in 2025 agreed Northern Ireland is a society that welcomes refugees escaping persecution in their home country – a significant decrease from the figure for each year from 2019 to 2024.
- In 2025, 57% of respondents agreed that it is “our duty to provide protection to refugees who are escaping persecution in their home country”. This was a significant decrease from the figure for each year from 2019 to 2024.
- Just over two fifths (41%) of respondents in 2025 agreed that refugees contribute to our society. This was a significant decrease from both previous years in which the question was asked: 2023 (53%) and 2024 (50%).
- In 2025, 37% of respondents agreed that they would like more opportunities to get to know asylum seekers or refugees. This was a significant decrease from both previous years in which the question was asked: 2023 (44%) and 2024 (47%).
- There was no change in the proportion who agreed that people’s perceptions of refugees and asylum seekers are negatively affected by the media between 2024 and 2025 (both 69%).
The report and associated data tables are available on the Statistics and Research section of the Executive Office website: www.executiveoffice-ni.gov.uk/topics/refugees-and-asylum-seekers
Further information relating to the collection and production of the statistics can be obtained by contacting:
Statistics and Analysis Unit
The Executive Office
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