https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cq5gn10z8gwo

Northern Ireland is the "least diverse" part of the UK, according to research published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
The new report on international migration said that based on international migration only 3.4% of Northern Ireland's population (65,600 people) are from a minority ethnic group.
That compares to 18.3% in England and Wales and 12.9% in Scotland.
"While Northern Ireland has become a more diverse culture over the past two decades, it still remains the least diverse region of the UK," the research said.
The paper has been compiled by the assembly's Research and Information Service and looks at migration in and out of Northern Ireland.
Around 293,000 long-term international migrants are estimated to have arrived in Northern Ireland between 2001 and 2023.
But 231,000 people have left, "leaving a net total international migration flow of 62,000 people," according to the paper.
Most migrants who have come to Northern Ireland are young, with almost nine out of ten under 35 years old.
Just over half have been male.
The number of migrants is much higher in some parts of Northern Ireland than others.
Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon, and Newry, Mourne and Down council areas have had the largest number of international migrants since 2001.
But Derry City and Strabane, Causeway Coast and Glens, and Antrim and Newtownabbey council areas have experienced a net loss of migrants since 2001.
The assembly paper also said that "the growing diversity of the population is not supported by everyone in the community".
It points out that racist incidents reached their highest level in Northern Ireland in 2023/24 with 1,353 recorded.
"A racist incident is defined as any incident, which may or may not constitute a criminal offence, which is perceived to be racist by the victim or any other person," it said.
"Hate crime is more prevalent in Northern Ireland than generally realised, with the number of racist incidents and crimes regularly exceeding the number of sectarian crimes.
"The task for the future will be to provide a more welcoming environment for our new residents and ensure that their skills and talents are fully utilised to enrich the cultural and economic life of all the people of Northern Ireland."
A black man pictured wearing a sky blue suit and trousers, he has his hands closed and is wearing a black apple watch.
IMAGE SOURCE, TAURA ARTURA
Image caption,
Tura Artura thinks there is "systematic underrepresentation" of people in ethnic minorities in positions of authority
Tura Artura from Africa House NI said he thought there was "systematic under-representation" of people in ethnic minorities in positions of authority in Northern Ireland.
He added that he was frustrated with Stormont's Racial Equality Strategy.
"Key actions were never implemented, no resources were allocated, and no one was held accountable for this," he said.
"The racist attacks in the summer show the failure in addressing issues affecting the the migrant population."

Diverse schools
Schools are places where the changes to Northern Ireland's population are most noticeable.
In 2023/24, one in every 16 pupils at school here was a "newcomer", according to the Department of Education.
The term is used to refer to a pupil who does not initially speak the same language as their class teacher, and is often originally from outside the UK.
In 70 primary schools, at least one in every five pupils is a newcomer.
Ten primary schools in Portadown, Dungannon, Belfast, Ballymena, and Armagh are named, in which well over half of the pupils are newcomers.
One is Dungannon Primary School, in which 234 of its 320 pupils in October 2023 were newcomers.
A man with brown hair and a grey beard looking into the camera he is wearing a purple shirt and a black blazer suit. he has blue eyes .
IMAGE SOURCE, DAVID THOMPSON
Image caption,
David Thompson is principal of Dungannon Primary School
David Thompson, the principal of Dungannon Primary School, said he saw the determination from the newcomer pupils coming through the school.
He told BBC News NI that 73% of newcomers to his school are made up of 16 different nationalities.
"The population has increased by a third in the past 11 years since I joined the school and it has had such a positive impact."
During the decade from 2010 to 2020 Poland was the top country of origin for international migrants to Northern Ireland.
"Since Brexit, however, inward migration from Europe has fallen sharply, and the latest figures (2023) show that India, Ireland and Nigeria are now the top three countries of origin," the paper said.
While migration change can be difficult to measure, the assembly's research used estimates based on Medical Card registrations and de-registrations.
It said that the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) was "content that their methods yield robust and accurate estimates".
Census data, school enrolments and birth statistics were also used by the researchers.

by Aggressive_Plates

29 comments

  1. One of the only things the troubles have ever been good for, it has scared people away for years

  2. But, but, there’s a…checks notes…an invasion. Or something

  6. Ah now lads you don’t fit the imported US definition of diversity they use these days. It’s no good claiming to be two distinct communities with centuries of difference and conflict, some nice academic has decided your are all the same now.

  7. Diversity has its pros and cons – it isn’t exactly the all or nothing thing that most redditors would have you think

  8. 20 years ago you’d he shocked to see a black person in Belfast now its completely normal, its came a long way. But you only have to look at England to see what ultra multiculturalism looks like and what it breeds (far right), same is going on France, Sweden, Germany who have open border policy.

  9. This isn’t a surprise. The knock-on effect of the Troubles has put NI on the back foot economically, so that wouldn’t encourage people to move their lives here.

    I know this doesn’t count for much but I volunteered with a lot of diverse people, mostly refugees, they were lovely people and the locals went out of their way to assist them in any way they could.

  10. This headline shows just how narrow and obtuse the modern definition of diverse is. The community is split right down the middle, how is that not diversity?

  11. Diversity is only important if it’s white areas or people that need to be diversified, it’s it Bradford or somewhere similar then it’s fantastic and has to be celebrated.

  13. I think my little town in Wales is pretty anti diverse, then I remember all the English settlers and remember the place is infested

  14. They make it out as if it’s a bad thing. Look how it worked out for the rest of the world.

  15. Crumbling infrastructure across all areas – roads, water, electric especially – HSC Trusts falling to pieces with overcrowding and lack of staff – can’t get a GP appt and when you do you’re stuck on a waiting list that is measured in years, not to mention the absolute lack of MH and ND support from healthcare – oversubscribed schools meaning kids are travelling miles and miles every day to get an education, lowest average salary in the UK, a government that only works when it feels like it, millions of pounds wasted on vanity projects while people suffer from all of the aforementioned issues, lack of opportunity for young people, not to mention the general racist and sectarian undertones…

    “But why do we have no immigrants?”

    Fuck me I’m no expert but if I was looking somewhere to move to, NI wouldn’t really be top of the list.

  16. Looking forward to the BBC story lamenting that Saudi Arabia and Pakistan are too non Christian and need more ethnic diversity as well. Oh sorry, I got confused. I remember now that the “diversity” plan is only for Western nations. We don’t want them being too homogenous and peaceful do we?

  17. DEI is gone people. The failed liberal project is over. Time for another way.

  19. Colour of someones skin is irrelevant.

    What matters is an integrated society of shared values, culture, and respect.

    England is more fractured than ever thanks to uncontrolled “diversity”.

  21. Thats a shame, diversity clearly worked so well down south. (Ignoring the South American who stabbed 3 random people last week, or the algerian who stabbed multiple school children, or the Iraqi who beheaded 2 gay men, or the Romani Gypsi that raped and killed Aisling Murphy)

  23. Also the poorest part. Get paid less to do the same role as those in GB. 

  26. Here in London you can’t even *find* BBC Northern Ireland live on the iPlayer. Only some old programmes – not the news or any current affairs programmes when they go out live. For some reason you *can* get Scotland though. I’ve written to the BBC umpteen times about this, and got no reply. I can’t believe I’m paying for this.

  28. NI is an apartheid province where two communities live behind psychological, political, and social walls

  29. “diversity” is cancer. There’s no benefit to it. Homogeneous societies are better in everyway.

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