A NEW report from the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) shows that public opinion on immigration is more negative in disadvantaged areas.
The study is based on a survey of over 1,200 people in 2023 along with data from the 2022 Census.
Researchers suggest that fears about pressure on national services and crime are driving sentiment on the issue.
Despite public concerns, the ESRI found no direct link between local shortages in healthcare, housing, or education and negative views toward immigration.
Using indicators like the number of general practitioners per household and housing affordability, the study concluded that attitudes are influenced more by perception than by local experience.
Geography also plays a role.
People living in rural areas tend to have more negative attitudes toward immigration than those in urban centres.
However, rural communities with higher proportions of migrants expressed similar attitudes to urban areas, pointing to the impact of everyday social contact in shaping views.
Places where migrants live evenly among the broader population show more positive attitudes compared to regions where migrants are concentrated in clusters.
This reinforces the idea that regular, informal interaction between neighbours, school parents, or community members can foster understanding and social cohesion.
Dr. Frances McGinnity, lead author of the report, noted that local communities can be both a barrier and a bridge to integration.
“Communities are spaces where migrants and non-migrants not only encounter each other but can also form lasting social ties,” she said.
Her co-author, Keire Murphy, added that socio-economic disadvantage is one of the strongest predictors of negative sentiment, echoing similar findings in other countries.
“The broader social and economic context is important for attitudes towards immigration,” she said.
Meanwhile, Irish authorities are dealing with more immediate concerns related to immigration enforcement.
Under “Operation Sonnet,” the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) has returned more than 440 migrants to Northern Ireland and Britain since the beginning of 2024.
These include individuals who crossed into Britain via the English Channel and then travelled on to Ireland to make secondary asylum applications or claim additional benefits.
In one case, an Afghan national who had already applied for asylum in Britain attempted to register again in Ireland.
Another case involved a man claiming to be Afghan, who was later found to have a Pakistani passport on his phone.
Officers say they are increasingly aware of attempts to exploit the Common Travel Area between Ireland and Britain, with strong cooperation between Irish and British authorities to address these issues.
The ESRI study states that fostering social integration in disadvantaged areas should be a key focus for future policy.
Encouraging social contact and addressing underlying socio-economic inequality could be more effective in improving public attitudes than focusing solely on enforcement or deterrence, it says.
See More: Asylum Seekers, Dr Frances McGinnity, ESRI, GNIB, Immigation
