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Rights after Brexit survey

What you need to know

 

Public Awareness Survey of equality and human rights protections in Northern Ireland after Brexit


The Equality Commission for Northern Ireland commissioned a short survey, as part of its role with the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, to promote understanding and awareness of the importance of Protocol Article 2 and the role of the dedicated mechanism.

The aim of the survey was to capture a snapshot of the public’s awareness and understanding of Article 2 of the Windsor Framework and the role of the dedicated mechanism, and attitudes to equality and human rights protections in Northern Ireland post Brexit.

This is the second survey from the commission in this topic. The first survey was between 11 and 14 March 2022 and there were 2,094 full responses which were audited and weighted and resulted in 1532 full responses which were analysed. The second survey was between 19 and 22 May 2023 and there were 2,136 responses. These responses were audited and weighted, and the results are representative of the Northern Ireland population. This resulted in 1,247 full responses which were recorded and used for analysis.

The survey obtained responses to the following issues:

Attitudes to equality and human rights protection in NI post Brexit

The survey found that:
 

  • A substantial proportion of respondents felt that attitudes toward minority ethnic people, migrant workers and refugees and asylum seekers had become ‘worse’ due to Brexit (46%, 44% and 51% for minority ethnic people, migrant workers and refugees and asylum seekers respectively), while a broadly similar proportion felt that attitudes were ‘about the same’ (45%, 47% and 40% respectively for each of these groups of people). 
  • Over half of all respondents (57%) thought that Brexit raises human rights and equality issues.
  • Over half of all respondents were concerned that their equality and human rights will be affected in the future as a result of Brexit (58%). This is similar to the proportion of respondents concerned (57%) in 2022.
  • There was an increase in the proportion of respondents who thought their equality and/or human rights have already been reduced as a result of Brexit (53% in 2023 compared to 42% in 2022).
 

Public's awareness and understanding of Article 2 of the Windsor Framework

The survey found that:
 

  • There is a considerable increase from 2022 in the proportion of respondents who are aware that equality and human rights are part of the UK Government’s commitments under the Windsor Framework / Protocol (70% in 2023 compared to 53% in 2022).
  • A substantial proportion of respondents (75%) indicated that the equality and human rights protections included in the Windsor Framework / Protocol were important to them (an increase from 72% in 2022).
  • Over half of all respondents (53%) were aware that they had the right to bring legal action under the Windsor Framework / Protocol with regard to equality and human rights protections under Article 2. This is a considerable increase from 2022, when only 34% of respondents indicated that they were aware of these new rights.
 
 


There was also a considerable increase in awareness regarding the provision of legal advice and assistance by the Equality Commission and Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, and that we can help individuals to bring legal actions before our courts if they consider their equality and human rights protected under the Windsor Framework / Protocol have been reduced. Almost two thirds of respondents (60%) indicated that they were aware of this in the 2023 survey, compared to 47% in the 2022 survey.

Just over one in three respondents (37%) were aware that ECNI and NIHRC were working with Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission in terms of the all-island dimension on rights and equality commitments under the Windsor Framework / Protocol. This is a considerable increase since 2022, when one in five respondents (21%) were aware of this. Over half of all respondents thought that this oversight role was important to them (59%).

If you would like further information on this survey, please contact dmu@equalityni.org


 
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