Follow-Up to the Far Right's Problems with Immigration Data

A brief follow-up to my post on the Far Right's problems with immigration data.  I came in for some criticism for using the citizen / non-citizen measurement rather than the 'born outside the state' data.   Some commentators suggested this might be intentional since if I used the data for Irish residents born outside the state, the figures would be different and confirm their assertions about 'excessive' immigration.

The reason I didn't use Eurostat's data for those born outside the state is that Irish data on the particular location outside the state (e.g. Africa, Asia) only goes up to 2011.  So let's look at CSO data - without European comparison.

In 2016, there were 809,000 residents born outside the state.  That's 17.3 percent of all residents born outside the state (as opposed to 11.9 percent non-citizens).  Doe this give some credence to the Far Right's claim that we are being inundated with non-nationals?  No.  Let's look at the nationality of those born outside the state.

Oh.  Yes, there are over 800,000 residents born outside the state - but over 300,000 of them are Irish nationals.  That's nearly 40 percent of all those born outside the state. 

This shouldn't be too surprising.  Irish nationals go abroad to work, study or just hang out (UK, US, Australia, other countries).  They have children and return home (or the child comes to Ireland when they become an adult). 

Indeed, since the recession trough, the number of Irish nationals born abroad now residing here has increased substantially - 27.8 percent since 2011. 

How many 'non-nationals' born abroad now reside in Ireland?  10.7 percent.  That's lower than the number of non-citizens that I used in my previous post (11.9 percent).  And the number of non-nationals born abroad is declining.

We can run these numbers in any direction, turn them upside down and right side up again but they tell a different story to that of the Far Right.  Because they are not interested in the reality; they are only interested in stoking up confusion, fear and racism. 

That's the difference.

Comments

[Alan]

Thanks Michael,
Factual as always.
Pretty quiet too.