🧵 MIGRATION IN NORTHERN IRELAND: WHAT DO THE FIGURES REALLY SHOW? More people leaving than arriving? International migration at a decade low? More people moving north than south across the Irish border? We fact checked three claims. Our verdict: MIXED 👇

📚 Do Catholic Maintained schools outperform Controlled schools at GCSE level? Education Minister Paul Givan claims they do, even when accounting for social disadvantage. 🔎 We examined the evidence. ✅ Our verdict: ACCURATE Read the full fact check 👇

NI has been without an agreed Budget for six months. The law required a draft Budget, agreed by the Executive, to be laid before the Assembly before 1 April. That didn’t happen. So is the Executive breaking the law? 🔎 Our latest fact check👇

🔎 What is fact-checking? It’s not about finding evidence to support an argument. It’s about testing claims against the evidence. ⚖️ Independent & non-partisan 🔎 Evidence-led 📚 Transparent sources & corrections Sometimes the evidence is clear. Sometimes it isn’t. Our job is to explain what it can, and cannot, tell us. Seen a claim that needs checked? Send it our way. #FactCheckNI #NorthernIreland

💷 Is the cost of living really that different north and south of the border? We examined explorer the evidence behind four claims. Our overall verdict: some claims are supported by evidence. Others are overstated. 🧵👇

Good information matters - especially when tensions are high. Rumour, speculation and incomplete information can quickly fuel fear and real-world harm. Check before you share. Look for reliable sources. Don’t add to uncertainty. #factcheckni #northernireland

In a world full of noise, clarity matters more than ever. From the economy to public health, the information we trust shapes the decisions we make every day. Before you share, react, or believe it; ask: what are your views based on? #FactCheckNI #MediaLiteracy #FactChecking #NorthernIreland

🏛️ Politicians are returning to Stormont after the summer break - but could change be coming to Stormont itself? With another Assembly election on the horizon, we look at what the main parties are saying about reform, where they agree; and where they don’t Link below👇 #Stormont #NIpolitics #NorthernIreland #FactCheckNI

NI doesn’t lack renewable energy; the grid cannot always handle what we already produce. In 2024, renewable generators were turned off or down 30% of the time because the grid could not absorb their output. Why - and what needs to change?👇 factcheckni.org/articles/gre…

Do data centres now consume nearly a quarter of all electricity in the Republic of Ireland? The claim is based on new official figures, but what do they actually measure, and what do they tell us about electricity use across the island? We examine the evidence. 👇 factcheckni.org/articles/ene… #FactCheck #Ireland #Energy #DataCentres

Political cartoons are designed to provoke discussion. But discussions about migration are best informed by evidence rather than assumptions. We’ve examined who migrates to the UK, the different routes people arrive through, and what support different groups are actually entitled to receive. In short, the reality is considerably more complex than many online narratives suggest.

Immigration debates in NI often focus on asylum seekers. But what do the latest figures actually show? An explainer we published last year has been referenced recently, so our new article includes the latest available data on: 📊 How many people are seeking asylum in NI 📊 How NI compares with the rest of the UK 📊 Where asylum seekers are living 📊 How the figures have changed over time The latest data shows 5,019 people in Northern Ireland are included in protection-related statistics; around 0.26% of the population. More than half arrived through Ukrainian and Afghan humanitarian schemes. 🔗 factcheckni.org/articles/imm…

🔺Health in NI: Are deaths due to alcohol at the highest levels on record? Some recent figures on alcohol-related harm in Northern Ireland are worth understanding 📊 397 alcohol-specific deaths were recorded in 2024; the highest on record, and 80% higher than a decade ago. The impact isn’t evenly felt, with deaths almost four times higher in the most deprived areas. There is evidence that policy can make a difference. #PublicHealth #NorthernIreland #HealthInequality #AlcoholAwareness

How many people regularly commute across the border on the island of Ireland for work? The latest census puts the figure at 18,318 - but comparing trends over time isn’t simple. 📊 Read the fact check: 🔗 factcheckni.org/articles/emp… #FactCheckNI #CrossBorder #Employment #census

✨🎅🏻Festive Fact Check 🎅🏻✨ Ever wondered how many presents Santa Claus must deliver - and how quickly he must do it? 🧐 Our FactCheckNI “Special Christmas Investigation” digs into the maths, cookies, and magic behind his global Christmas Eve journey. 🍪🌍✨ #Christmas #Santa #FactCheckNI #NorthernIreland

Autism assessment waiting lists in Northern Ireland are at a critical point. 📊 17,205 children are currently waiting for an autism assessment; almost the same as the 17,760 already diagnosed with autism in NI. #factcheckni #northernireland #autism #Neurodiversity

Behind every statistic on Violence Against Women and Girls is a real person - but if the data’s unclear, how can we fight it? Our article explores the serious gaps in how NI’s justice system records and understands VAWG.

So much is said about immigration in the UK, but how much of it is accurate? This explainer separates fact from fiction on who moves here and what they’re actually entitled to. 🔗Read now: factcheckni.org/articles/exp… #FactCheckNI #MigrationFacts

Northern Ireland still has the largest disability employment gap in the UK - but have the numbers shifted recently? 🔍 Read our fact-check to find out. 👇 #DisabilityEmployment #FactCheckNI

Does Belfast really house more “illegal migrants” than every other UK city except Glasgow? Turns out, no. This FactCheckNI article slices through the noise with clear, evidence-based insight. Read our full analysis below 👇 #FactsMatter #FactCheckNI #NorthernIreland