People living in disadvantaged areas ‘less positive' about immigration
A new Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) research paper examines the role that community context plays in understanding people's attitudes towards immigration in Ireland.
The research found that the share of migrants in a community and recent increases in migrants between 2011 and 2022 were not associated with attitudes towards immigration in Ireland overall.
However, people living in more disadvantaged communities had more negative attitudes towards immigration, in particular, disadvantaged communities where there was an increase in migrants since 2011.
This has important implications for policies aimed at improving migrant integration
The study is based on a large, representative survey of adults in Ireland looking at views on immigration, conducted in April 2023, matched with Census 2022 and additional data on the communities they live in.
It follows a report published earlier in the year that analysed individual and household-level factors associated with attitudes to immigration, which found that education, financial strain, and optimism about the future were factors related to attitudes towards immigration.
The latest research found that migrants are not more likely to live in disadvantaged communities, however, it also found that people in communities with higher levels of socio-economic disadvantage are less positive about immigration, even after accounting for their own financial situation.
Disadvantage is captured by proportions of households headed by lone parents, unemployed, with low education, or semi or unskilled.
The report found that an increase in the number of migrants living in the area since 2011 had a more negative effect on attitudes in disadvantaged communities.
Living in a rural area was associated with more negative attitudes towards immigration, compared with living in an urban area. However, rural areas with high percentages of migrants had attitudes towards immigration that were very similar to those in urban areas.
The report stated that this may reflect the importance of social contact with migrants for fostering more positive attitudes.
This research shows that local communities can generate both obstacles to, but also opportunities for, social integration between non-migrants and migrants
The research also found that more segregated areas, where migrants live in clusters rather than evenly spread across the area, show more negative attitudes towards immigration. This also suggests that positive social contact with migrants in communities may facilitate understanding.
The research investigated whether people living in areas with greater pressure on services such as health, housing and education held more negative attitudes towards immigration.
Using indicators such as the number of GPs per household and housing affordability, high rents and high house prices, the ESRI said it found no evidence of a link.
It also found that attitudes to immigration are not related to the proportion of Ukrainian refugees in people's local area.
Surprisingly, the proportion of asylum seekers in the community is linked to more positive attitudes to immigration overall, though only a small number of respondents had asylum seekers living in their local area.
The research shows that community-level factors can give important insights into attitudes towards immigration.
While some communities perceive immigration more negatively than others, positive social contact can play a key role in improving attitudes and therefore social cohesion.
Echoing international findings, socio-economic factors like community-level disadvantage seem to matter, implying that the broader social and economic context is important for attitudes towards immigration
'This has important implications for policies aimed at improving migrant integration, but also indicates that broader economic and social policies and factors, such as disadvantage, segregation, urban/rural settlement, play a key role in social cohesion and attitudes towards immigration,' the report said.
'The findings about pressure on services indicate that it may not be direct local experiences that impact attitudes, but may instead be concern about pressure on services in Ireland as a whole.'
Report author Fran McGinnity said: 'This research shows that local communities can generate both obstacles to, but also opportunities for, social integration between non-migrants and migrants.
'Communities are spaces where migrants and non-migrants not only encounter each other but can also form lasting social ties.
'This could be as next-door neighbours, as parents of children going to the same school, or in community groups.
'This kind of positive social contact between migrants and non-migrants can go a long way to generating positive relations between groups as well as building stronger, more cohesive communities in the long run.'
Report co-author Keire Murphy said: 'This report gives important insight into what makes anti-immigrant sentiment more likely.
'Echoing international findings, socio-economic factors like community-level disadvantage seem to matter, implying that the broader social and economic context is important for attitudes towards immigration.'
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