The majority of people in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland believe that Northern Ireland will leave the United Kingdom within the next 25 years, according to a new opinion poll.
The research poll, conducted for BBC NI's Spotlight program, found that just 37% of people in Northern Ireland believe that the region will still be part of the UK in 25 years, while just 26% of people in the Republic of Ireland said that Northern Ireland would be part of the UK in 25 years.
However, 55% of Northern Irish people believed that the region will still be part of the UK in a decade, with just 32% of people believing that a United Ireland could be achieved in that timeframe.
In the Republic of Ireland, 59% of people thought that Northern Ireland would still be part of the UK in the next ten years, with 26% believing that a United Ireland would be achieved by then.
Conducted by Lucid Talk in Northern Ireland between April 5 and April 7, the poll had a sample size of 2.845 and a 2.5% margin of error.
A parallel poll conducted by Lucid Talks and Think Ireland took place in the Republic of Ireland with a sample size of 1,008 and a margin of error of 2.5%.
The poll found that 49% of people in Northern Ireland would vote to remain in the UK if a border poll took place today, while 43% would vote in favor of a United Ireland. The remaining 8% were undecided.
In the Republic of Ireland, 51% of people would vote in favor of a United Ireland with just 27% voting against the proposal.
The Lucid Talk poll was conducted as violent riots erupted in loyalist communities throughout Northern Ireland and the poll found that 76% of people in Northern Ireland believe that violence will return to the region. In contrast, 87% of Irish people believe that violence will make a return in Northern Ireland.
Just 12% of Irish people believe that the Northern Ireland centenary is worth celebrating, while 40% of people in Northern Ireland believe it is an achievement and worthy of celebration.
The Northern Ireland Protocol split people in Northern Ireland, with 48% in favor of scrapping the protocol and 46% of people in favor of retaining it.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told BBC NI's Spotlight that the British Government is currently "sandpapering" the protocol to fine-tune some issues. He also told Spotlight that he doesn't expect a border poll to take place for a "very, very long time to come".
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