Segregation in Northern Ireland

Segregation in Northern Ireland is a long-running issue in the political and social history of the province. It often been regarded as both a cause and effect of The Troubles between the Roman Catholic and Protestant populations of Northern Ireland.

A combination of political, religious and social differences plus the threat of intercommunal tensions and violence has led to widespread self-segregation of the two communities. Catholics and Protestants lead largely separate lives in a situation that some have dubbed "self-imposed apartheid".

Education

Education in Northern Ireland is heavily segregated. Most state schools in Northern Ireland are predominantly Protestant, while the majority of Catholic children attend schools maintained by the Catholic Church. In all, 90 per cent of children in Northern Ireland still go to separate faith schools. The consequence is, as one commentator has put it, that "the overwhelming majority of Ulster's children can go from four to 18 without having a serious conversation with a member of a rival creed." However, the Integrated Education movement has sought to reverse this trend by establishing non-denominational schools such as the Portadown Integrated Primary.

Employment

Historically, employment in Northern Ireland was highly segregated, with Protestants holding the majority of higher-status jobs (particularly in government, law enforcement and skilled trades such as engineering), and Catholics being more likely to be unskilled or unemployed. These trends are still apparent, though to a lesser extent than in the past. The British government has introduced numerous laws and regulations since the mid-1990s to prohibit discrimination on religious grounds, with the Fair Employment Commission (originally the Fair Employment Agency) exercising statutory powers to investigate allegations of discriminatory practices in Northern Ireland business and organisations. (See also Religious discrimination in Northern Ireland.)

Housing

File:Belfast Peace Line.jpg

"Peace line" in Belfast

Public housing is overwhelmingly segregated between the two communities, in a trend that has been exacerbated by intercommunal violence. It was estimated in 2004 that 92.5% of public housing in Northern Ireland was divided along religious lines, with the figure rising to 98% in Belfast. A number of areas, particularly in Belfast, are separated by high walls called "peace lines" which were originally built by the British Army in the 1970s but have since become fixtures in Northern Ireland's urban landscape.

Tensions between the two communities have forced substantial numbers of people to move from mixed areas into unidenominational areas, thus increasing the degree of polarisation and segregation. It was estimated in 2005 that despite the ongoing Northern Ireland peace process, more than 1,400 people were still being forced to move each year as a consequence of intimidation.

Intermarriage

In contrast with both the Republic of Ireland and most parts of the UK mainland, where intermarriage between Protestants and Catholics is common, intermarriage in Northern Ireland is rare. Only 5% of marriages cross community divides.