Reference metadata describe statistical concepts and methodologies used for the collection and generation of data. They provide information on data quality and, since they are strongly content-oriented, assist users in interpreting the data. Reference metadata, unlike structural metadata, can be decoupled from the data.
Police and Border Guard Board, Pärnu mnt 139, Tallinn, 15060
1.6. Contact email address
Confidential because of GDPR
1.7. Contact phone number
Confidential because of GDPR
1.8. Contact fax number
Confidential because of GDPR
2.1. Metadata last certified
6 March 2025
2.2. Metadata last posted
6 March 2025
2.3. Metadata last update
15 September 2025
3.1. Data description
Data collection on asylum statistics contains statistical information based on the Article 4.1, 4.2 and 4.3 of Regulation (EC) No 862/2007 on Community statistics on migration and international protection.
Asylum applications:
Asylum, first time and subsequent applicants by citizenship, age and sex (also for unaccompanied minors);
Persons subject of asylum applications pending at the end of month by citizenship, age and sex (also for unaccompanied minors);
Asylum applications withdrawn by citizenship, age, sex and type of withdrawal (also for unaccompanied minors);
Asylum applicants having had their applications processed under the accelerated procedure by citizenship, age and sex (also for unaccompanied minors);
Applicants having benefited from material reception conditions at the end of the reference year;
Asylum applicants considered to be unaccompanied minors by citizenship, age and sex.
Decisions on asylum applications:
First instance decisions on applications by citizenship, age, sex and type of decision (also for unaccompanied minors);
Decisions withdrawing status granted at first instance decision by citizenship, type of decision and type of reason (also for unaccompanied minors);
Final decisions in appeal or review on applications by citizenship, age, sex and type of decision (also for unaccompanied minors);
Decisions withdrawing status granted as final decision in appeal or review by citizenship, type of decision and type of reason (also for unaccompanied minors).
Resettled persons:
Resettled persons by citizenship, age and sex (also for unaccompanied minors);
Resettled persons by citizenship, age, sex and country of previous residence;
Resettled persons by citizenship, age, sex and type of decision;
Resettled persons by citizenship, age, sex and resettlement framework.
In March 2022, the European Commission activated the Temporary Protection Directive 2001/55/EC for people from Ukraine seeking refuge.
Temporary protection:
Decisions granting temporary protection by citizenship, age and sex (also for unaccompanied minors);
Beneficiaries of temporary protection at the end of the month by citizenship, age and sex (also for unaccompanied minors).
3.2. Classification system
Same as Eurostat.
See table 3.2. in annex ‘Quality report tables Asylum’.
3.3. Coverage - sector
Migration and asylum – Asylum statistics.
3.4. Statistical concepts and definitions
Same definitions as Eurostat.
See table 3.4. in annex ‘Quality report tables Asylum’.
3.5. Statistical unit
Persons.
3.6. Statistical population
Third-country nationals and stateless persons.
See table 3.6. in annex ‘Quality report tables Asylum’.
3.7. Reference area
Estonia
3.8. Coverage - Time
Time coverage according to Regulation (EC) No 862/2007, from January 2008, eventually January 2021.
See table 3.8. in annex ‘Quality report tables Asylum’.
3.9. Base period
Not applicable.
Number of persons.
Calendar month, calendar quarter and calendar year.
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
This metadata information is provided by the authorities of Estonia to ensure compliance with the requirements of Article 4.1-4.3 (Asylum statistics) of Regulation 862/2007 on Community Statistics on Migration and International Protection.
As required by Article 9 of the Regulation 862/2007, Member States must report to Eurostat on the data sources used, the reasons for the selection of these sources and the effects of the selected data on the quality of the statistics. Member States shall provide Eurostat with all the information necessary to evaluate the quality, comparability and completeness of the statistical information.
6.2. Institutional Mandate - data sharing
On national level, statistics concerning international protection is shared internally with relevant ministries, organizations etc.
On European level, data concerning international protection is shared with Frontex, EUAA and UNHCR.
7.1. Confidentiality - policy
The personal data of third-country nationals and stateless persons is processed and used for the purpose of conducting the procedure for international protection. Police and Border Guard Board employees must follow the principles of confidentiality when processing applicant's personal data. Procedural rules, obliged for every user who processes personal data, are set up to define specific actions and rules for access and protection of personal data. Internal rules and guidelines have been established on how to handle personal data.
7.2. Confidentiality - data treatment
Data are published in statistical form only. Microdata is not accessible in any form for external users.
8.1. Release calendar
Data on asylum statistics are not published at the national level. These data are disseminated monthly, quarterly and yearly through Eurostat online databases.
8.2. Release calendar access
Not applicable.
8.3. Release policy - user access
Not applicable.
Statistics at national level are updated monthly. The data is disseminated monthly, quarterly and yearly through Eurostat online databases.
10.1. Dissemination format - News release
Not available.
10.2. Dissemination format - Publications
Not available.
10.3. Dissemination format - online database
Not available.
10.3.1. Data tables - consultations
Not applicable.
10.4. Dissemination format - microdata access
Not available.
10.5. Dissemination format - other
Not available.
10.5.1. Metadata - consultations
Not applicable.
10.6. Documentation on methodology
Not available.
10.6.1. Metadata completeness - rate
Not applicable.
10.7. Quality management - documentation
Not available.
11.1. Quality assurance
Compilation of data is following the guidelines and instructions provided by Eurostat. Consistency validation checks are performed.
11.2. Quality management - assessment
Good quality.
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
Users of Eurostat asylum statistics are:
various policy DGs in the European Commission, like DG Migration and Home Affairs for designing, funding and implementing asylum related policies in the EU,
European Parliament,
national authorities (Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Justice, immigration agencies) who use Asylum data to monitor or project the development of their national asylum procedures,
European Migration Network (EMN) which uses the Asylum data as a basis for its annual EU and national level statistical and analytical reports,
researchers and students conducting analysis and research in the field of asylum,
journalists and international organisations in the area of asylum and migration.
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
No measures available.
12.3. Completeness
The required disaggregation for all datasets is complete.
See table 12.3. in annex ‘Quality report tables Asylum’.
12.3.1. Data completeness - rate
Not applicable.
13.1. Accuracy - overall
The overall assessment of the accuracy of the data collection is considered to be high.
13.2. Sampling error
Not applicable.
13.2.1. Sampling error - indicators
Not applicable.
13.3. Non-sampling error
Not applicable.
13.3.1. Coverage error
Not applicable.
13.3.1.1. Over-coverage - rate
Not applicable.
13.3.1.2. Common units - proportion
Not applicable.
13.3.2. Measurement error
Not applicable.
13.3.3. Non response error
Not applicable.
13.3.3.1. Unit non-response - rate
Not applicable.
13.3.3.2. Item non-response - rate
Not applicable.
13.3.4. Processing error
Not applicable.
13.3.5. Model assumption error
Not applicable.
14.1. Timeliness
The first data can be reported in 30 days at the earliest after the end of the reference period.
14.1.1. Time lag - first result
Not applicable.
14.1.2. Time lag - final result
Not applicable.
14.2. Punctuality
Data are delivered on time.
See table 14.2. in annex ‘Quality report tables Asylum’.
14.2.1. Punctuality - delivery and publication
Not applicable.
15.1. Comparability - geographical
The statistics are comparable between all regions of Estonia, there is only one national system of accumulating and processing the data.
15.1.1. Asymmetry for mirror flow statistics - coefficient
Not applicable.
15.2. Comparability - over time
Data are comparable over time.
See table 15.2. in annex ‘Quality report tables Asylum’.
15.2.1. Length of comparable time series
Not applicable.
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
No available information.
15.3.1. Coherence - sub annual and annual statistics
The sub annual (monthly or quarterly) and annual statistics are coherent.
15.3.2. Coherence - National Accounts
Not applicable.
15.4. Coherence - internal
The asylum statistics are internally coherent, they are produced from one source database.
Asylum statistics are based on administrative data. Their production does not require any special costs or burden.
17.1. Data revision - policy
No data revision policy.
17.2. Data revision - practice
Data revisions is not applicable.
See table 17.2. in annex ‘Quality report tables Asylum’.
17.2.1. Data revision - average size
Not applicable.
18.1. Source data
Administrative data from Police and Border Guard Board.
See table 18.1. in annex ‘Quality report tables Asylum’.
18.2. Frequency of data collection
Monthly.
18.3. Data collection
Police and Border Guard Board collects data manually on monthly basis.
18.4. Data validation
The source data are checked and validated before compiling the aggregates output statistics sent to Eurostat.
18.5. Data compilation
Data is based on Article 4 of the Regulation (EC) No 862/2007. The collected data is converted into statistical output. Estimations are not used.
Data collection on asylum statistics contains statistical information based on the Article 4.1, 4.2 and 4.3 of Regulation (EC) No 862/2007 on Community statistics on migration and international protection.
Asylum applications:
Asylum, first time and subsequent applicants by citizenship, age and sex (also for unaccompanied minors);
Persons subject of asylum applications pending at the end of month by citizenship, age and sex (also for unaccompanied minors);
Asylum applications withdrawn by citizenship, age, sex and type of withdrawal (also for unaccompanied minors);
Asylum applicants having had their applications processed under the accelerated procedure by citizenship, age and sex (also for unaccompanied minors);
Applicants having benefited from material reception conditions at the end of the reference year;
Asylum applicants considered to be unaccompanied minors by citizenship, age and sex.
Decisions on asylum applications:
First instance decisions on applications by citizenship, age, sex and type of decision (also for unaccompanied minors);
Decisions withdrawing status granted at first instance decision by citizenship, type of decision and type of reason (also for unaccompanied minors);
Final decisions in appeal or review on applications by citizenship, age, sex and type of decision (also for unaccompanied minors);
Decisions withdrawing status granted as final decision in appeal or review by citizenship, type of decision and type of reason (also for unaccompanied minors).
Resettled persons:
Resettled persons by citizenship, age and sex (also for unaccompanied minors);
Resettled persons by citizenship, age, sex and country of previous residence;
Resettled persons by citizenship, age, sex and type of decision;
Resettled persons by citizenship, age, sex and resettlement framework.
In March 2022, the European Commission activated the Temporary Protection Directive 2001/55/EC for people from Ukraine seeking refuge.
Temporary protection:
Decisions granting temporary protection by citizenship, age and sex (also for unaccompanied minors);
Beneficiaries of temporary protection at the end of the month by citizenship, age and sex (also for unaccompanied minors).
15 September 2025
Same definitions as Eurostat.
See table 3.4. in annex ‘Quality report tables Asylum’.
Persons.
Third-country nationals and stateless persons.
See table 3.6. in annex ‘Quality report tables Asylum’.
Estonia
Calendar month, calendar quarter and calendar year.
The overall assessment of the accuracy of the data collection is considered to be high.
Number of persons.
Data is based on Article 4 of the Regulation (EC) No 862/2007. The collected data is converted into statistical output. Estimations are not used.
Administrative data from Police and Border Guard Board.
See table 18.1. in annex ‘Quality report tables Asylum’.
Statistics at national level are updated monthly. The data is disseminated monthly, quarterly and yearly through Eurostat online databases.
The first data can be reported in 30 days at the earliest after the end of the reference period.
The statistics are comparable between all regions of Estonia, there is only one national system of accumulating and processing the data.
Data are comparable over time.
See table 15.2. in annex ‘Quality report tables Asylum’.
