Attitudes towards non-EU immigration less positive in recent months – survey

Attitudes towards non-EU immigration and people’s views that immigrants contribute a lot to Ireland has declined in recent months, a survey has suggested.

The research, compiled by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), found that while some attitudes towards refugees had become less positive, the majority of views on the issue in Ireland remained “largely positive”.

The data was compared with previous data on attitudes in Ireland and compared with other European countries.

The research found that some attitudes had become less positive in the last six months of 2023 in particular, and that attitudes were more positive towards some groups than others.

There had also been an increase in the proportion of people who felt immigration was one of the top two issues facing Ireland today.

The report examined attitudes towards immigration over the past 20 years.

Using a representative survey of 3,008 adults in Ireland in 2023, it also examined what factors were associated with more or less positive attitudes and comfort levels with different migrant groups.

Over the last decade, Irish positivity towards immigration had significantly increased.

In 2022, beliefs that immigrants made the country a better place to live, that the country’s cultural life was enriched by immigrants, and that immigration was good for the economy were at an historic high, based on data going back to 2002 and having improved significantly from dips during the recession.

But in recent years, there had been declines in some indicators.

Positivity towards immigration from EU countries was 10 percentage points lower in 2023 than in 2020.

Several attitudes declined, especially between June and November 2023, including people’s positivity towards non-EU immigration and people’s feelings that immigrants contributed a lot to Ireland.

These declines in Ireland mirrored similar declines in average attitudes across the 27 EU countries.

There was a sharp and substantial rise in the salience or importance of migration.

The proportion of people who said that immigration was one of the top two most important issues facing Ireland rose from 3% in July 2022 to 14% in June 2023 and November 2023.

This compared with 56% of people who said housing was one of the two most important issues facing Ireland.

Despite very recent declines in support for immigration, Ireland has some of the most positive attitudes towards immigration of all EU27 countries. It is ranked fourth most supportive of immigration among EU27 countries and the UK.

The study found that, according to an Irish survey from March/April 2023, people in Ireland were more positive about immigration from other EU member states and Ukraine, showing that 85% were very positive/fairly positive compared with immigration from outside the EU/Ukraine at 73%.

The research also found that people in Ireland were more supportive of helping Ukrainian refugees at 87% than asylum seekers at 76%.

People in Ireland were also more comfortable with having European migrants in their everyday lives, as neighbours, in their child’s class in school, in a romantic relationship with their child.

They were somewhat less comfortable with Ukrainian refugees, and least comfortable with asylum seekers.

While the research showed high support for helping refugees, a survey experiment showed that this support may be conditional on the potential costs that providing support might bring, such as pressure on services or a tax increase.

The report found that education and perceived financial strain were some of the most consistent predictors of immigration attitudes and how comfortable people felt with different migrant groups.

People with lower qualifications and those who found “making ends meet” more difficult were less positive about immigration and immigrants, it found.

Living in private rented accommodation was associated with more positive attitudes to immigrants and immigration, compared to living in owner-occupied accommodation.

A survey experiment also showed that those who identified as politically left-wing were more positive across some indicators, which may indicate the emergence of a left/right split in attitudes to immigrants in Ireland.

People’s perceptions of the past and future were also associated with their immigration attitudes.

Those who felt that their quality of life was better in the past or who had less confidence in the future were less positive about immigration overall and felt less comfortable with migrants in their everyday lives, especially with asylum seekers.

People concerned about access to housing and access to services were also somewhat less positive towards immigration than people concerned about racism, climate change or poverty in Ireland.

Report author Dr James Laurence stated: “Understanding attitudes to immigrants and immigration are important for migrant integration.

“Despite concerns regarding an escalation of anti-immigration activities, evidence suggests that most people in Ireland are supportive of immigration and are comfortable with different immigrant groups.

“The findings indicate that broader policy concerns among people can spill over to shape people’s concerns about immigration.

“Attitudes are likely influenced by people’s social and economic conditions, such as whether they are having difficulties making ends meet.”