by iNews
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by iNews
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By Tristrian Whitney
Almost two-thirds of 16-year-olds in Northern Ireland believed the media is driving negative perceptions of refugees and asylum seekers, according to statistics published by The Executive Office.
The 2025 Young Life and Times survey found 64% of respondents agreed with the statement that “people’s perceptions of refugees and asylum seekers are negatively affected by the media”.
However, only one in three (33%) teenagers surveyed agreed they would like “more opportunities to get to know asylum seekers or refugees”. That figure was a significant decrease from 44% in 2023, the first year the question was included.
A separate question, asked for the first time in 2025, foundjust 26% of respondents agreed that “refugees positively contribute to our society”.
In the questionnaire, refugees were defined as “people who have been given permission to stay in the UK because they have been persecuted in their home country”.
An asylum seeker was defined as “someone seeking refugee status who has not yet received a decision from the Immigration Authorities on whether their application was successful or not”.
The Young Life and Times survey annually samples 16-year-olds living in Northern Ireland using the Child Benefit Register.
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