By Dave Bradley

The welcome for refugees in Northern Ireland trying to escape persecution has fallen since 2022 with the Fermanagh and Omagh Council District (FOCD) in the bottom two.

That’s according to the results of a yearly poll carried out by Northern Ireland Life and Times (NILT) survey to examine public attitudes to asylum seekers and refugees in Northern Ireland.

In response to the question,

“Thinking about people who come to Northern Ireland to get away from persecution in their own country. How much do you agree or disagree that these asylum seekers should be allowed to stay in Northern Ireland?”

56% of people in the Fermanagh and Omagh District who responded agreed that asylum seekers should be allowed to stay in Northern Ireland.

“I welcome the recent report as it is important that government bodies and all those that work within the sector get a broader picture of what the Northern Irish public thinks about refugee and asylum seekers.”

The figure in neighboring Derry and Strabane was much higher however with 72% of those polled responding positively. Why does Mary think there is such a big difference?

“One of the reasons I believe is that this area is geographically spread out and we need to be out there talking to the local community doing much more awareness raising work. However, with one organizationwith one staff member to cover the entire area it is not possible. To ensure these negative attitudes are dealt with and addressed we need to be better funded and have more resources at our disposal.

“Strabane/Derry Council has several groups working within this sector, and they are well resourced and doing a brilliant job, which shows what can be done when the resources are there.”

The PSNI have recently reported that Fermanagh and Omagh has the lowest instance of race incidents and crimes in Northern Ireland.

Mary said, “ERANO enjoys the support of many in the local community who believe we must support those fleeing war and persecution. However, I’m aware of increasing anti-immigrant attitudes in the local community. People have become more vocal and embolden since the riots in the summer. The rhetoric is always the same a worry about the increasing immigration numbers in Northern Ireland, the lack of housing, the decline of the health service etc. and they blame this on refugees and asylum seekers. It is always the case to blame someone more vulnerable than you and this fear is feed by negative stories in the media. People need to be looking at the government for answers and leadership, rather than targeting those fleeing war.”

As for the future Mary says, “Now these figures have been published I hope that the issues can be addressed and organizations like ERANO can be properly funded and staffed if this government is serious about building a cohesive society for all people living here and that includes refugees and asylum seekers.”

The Council has been contacted for comment.

The full Executive Office report ‘Attitudes to Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Northern Ireland 2023’ is available from:

www.executiveoffice-ni.gov.uk/publications/attitudes-refugees-and-asylum-seekers-northern-ireland–2023