Four in five migrants live in urban areas - ESRI

The proportion of migrants living in more affluent areas of the State is higher than those who live in disadvantaged areas, according to research by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).

The study found that four out of five migrants (78%) reside in urban areas, most of whom live in cities (43%).

In Electoral Divisions classified as "very affluent", 36% of the population are migrants, whereas they make up only 9% of the population in "extremely disadvantaged" areas.

In Dublin, migrants are mostly concentrated in the city centre and outer suburbs.

Areas 2 to 4 kilometres from the city centre have lower proportions of migrants.

Migrants are also more likely to live in areas with more private rental housing, as opposed to owner-occupied or social housing, according to the report.

15% were found to live in either commuter towns or independent towns (20%).

Those born in Great Britain and the United States are most likely to live in rural areas, while those born in some non-EU and western EU countries are most likely to live in urban areas, according to the report.

The ESRI found distinct patterns across types of urban areas, with eastern EU migrants most likely to live in commuter towns than cities.

When it compared data from the 2016 census and the 2022 census, it found that migrant segregation was low in Ireland and did not change in that time.

While there are differences in segregation levels by country-of-birth, with groups of migrants who were born in non-EU, non-Anglosphere countries having higher average levels of segregation than migrants born in Great Britain, USA, and Poland.

The establishment of Local Area Integration Teams (LAITs) in every local authority has been viewed as good practice regarding refugee and migrant integration.

Researchers spoke to people working in integration who suggested that IPAS centre managers should receive training for their roles as well as the availability of English language training in rural areas