The Evolution of Northern Irish Immigration: Trends, Statistics and Demographics

Abstract

Chapter 2 provides a demographic and statistical overview of Northern Irish immigration throughout the twentieth century. It deploys a range of documentary sources including census data, street directories and residency applications to give an overview of Northern Ireland’s immigrant numbers and occupations. In particular, the chapter explores the demographic makeup of the book’s four case studies: the Italian, Indian, Chinese and Vietnamese communities. It also introduces a key piece of legislation, the Safeguarding of Employment Act (Northern Ireland, 1947), which stipulated that nobody from outside of Northern Ireland could work there without a permit, something that drove most Northern Irish immigrants to entrepreneurship. This overview serves two purposes. Firstly, it refutes the common assumption that Northern Ireland was a place of hegemonic whiteness. Instead, immigrants and people of colour have lived there for over a century. In emphasising Northern Ireland’s history of immigration and diversity, the chapter justifies the region’s incorporation into broader UK immigration studies. Secondly, this empirical chapter outlines the context and scale of migration to Northern Ireland, providing a framework that underpins later analysis. By describing the scope, form and character of Northern Irish immigration, the chapter provides a lens through which to understand migrant reception, experiences and identities, all of which are considered later in the book.