Public opinion in the Derry City and Strabane District Council area on the question of whether asylum seekers should be permitted to remain in Northern Ireland has fallen, according to newly released 2025 data from the Northern Ireland Life and Times survey.

The annual poll of adults aged 18 and over, carried out by the NI Executive Office, found that overall in 2025, 49 percent of respondents across Northern Ireland agreed that asylum seekers should be allowed to stay. In the Derry and Strabane area, combined figures for 2024 and 2025 also showed 49 percent agreement, a drop from 56 percent in earlier surveys covering 2023 and 2024.

When asked if Northern Ireland was a society that welcomes refugees fleeing persecution, 37 percent of those in Derry and Strabane agreed, compared to 27 percent across all council areas.

The survey also examined views on whether Northern Ireland has a duty to protect such refugees. In Derry and Strabane, 62 percent supported this idea, down from 67 percent in the previous survey. Across the region, 57 percent agreed with the duty.

The proportion who felt that refugees make a contribution to society stood at 45 percent in the council area, a slight decrease from the 48 percent recorded previously.

Despite some declines, the survey indicated that close to half of those polled in Derry and Strabane expressed an interest in having more opportunities to interact with asylum seekers or refugees.

The release of the statistics provides a snapshot of shifting attitudes at a local level, as the Northern Ireland Life and Times survey continues to track social and political opinions across the region.