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.
6/7 Hanover Street East, Dublin 2, D02 W320, Ireland
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
31 March 2025
2.2. Metadata last posted
31 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Asylum applications withdrawn by citizenship, age, sex and type of withdrawal (also for unaccompanied minors);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.
Withdrawal of final decisions is not applicable in Ireland.
See table 3.4. in annex ‘Quality report tables Asylum’.
3.5. Statistical unit
Persons.
3.6. Statistical population
Foreigners and stateless persons.
See table 3.6. in annex ‘Quality report tables Asylum’.
3.7. Reference area
Ireland
3.8. Coverage - Time
Time coverage according to Regulation (EC) No 862/2007, from January 2008, eventually January 2021.
Data on applicants processed under accelerated procedure are not available from January 2021 to October 2022 (not applicable).
Data on withdrawn final decisions are not applicable.
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
The compilation of statistics on asylum is based on Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 862/2007 of 11 July 2007 as amended by the Regulation (EU) 2020/851 which depicts in details the data provisions Member States are bound to supply Eurostat with.
6.2. Institutional Mandate - data sharing
Data shared is aggregate data with no identifying personal details.
7.1. Confidentiality - policy
There is no formalised confidentiality policy. However, no personal data or data that could lead to the identification of a person is released.
From 25 May 2018 the key legislative frameworks are:
Procedure manuals and process maps are compiled for each dataset and table. These are for internal use only.
10.6.1. Metadata completeness - rate
Not applicable.
10.7. Quality management - documentation
Not available at national level.
11.1. Quality assurance
Statistics are based entirely on administrative sources.
Procedure manuals and process maps are compiled for each dataset and table.
Before publishing the data, consistent validation checks are performed.
Revisions are carried out as issues are encountered or identified.
11.2. Quality management - assessment
Data is considered of high quality.
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
Administrative data is collected for service delivery purposes.
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
Not 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
Data is considered highly accurate. Any errors are revised when they are encountered or identified.
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 data are provided to Eurostat within the requested deadlines.
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
Data is geographically comparable across the country.
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
See below.
15.3.1. Coherence - sub annual and annual statistics
There can be minor variations between monthly, quarterly and annual data due to backdating, fixing of data entry errors, suppression of low numbers. These are usually caught and rectified.
15.3.2. Coherence - National Accounts
Not applicable.
15.4. Coherence - internal
There can be minor variations between monthly, quarterly and annual data due to backdating, fixing of data entry errors, suppression of low numbers. These are usually caught and rectified.
As data is collected as part of the service delivery and statistics are based on existing administrative data. There is no extra cost or burden on respondents.
17.1. Data revision - policy
There is currently no formalised revision policy for these statistics. Revisions are done as soon as errors are discovered.
17.2. Data revision - practice
There are no scheduled revisions. Unplanned revisions are done if errors are noticed. After this happens, an audit is done to discover why the error occurred. Any changes to procedures or systems needed are undertaken.
See table 17.2. in annex ‘Quality report tables Asylum’.
17.2.1. Data revision - average size
Not applicable.
18.1. Source data
Department of Justice, administrative data.
See table 18.1. in annex ‘Quality report tables Asylum’.
18.2. Frequency of data collection
Data is collected daily (on working days only).
18.3. Data collection
Administrative data which is collected in the process of service delivery.
18.4. Data validation
Internal checks are done by the data and analytics team when compiling the statistics.
Any inconsistencies discovered are relayed the data entry teams for investigation.
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.
Withdrawal of final decisions is not applicable in Ireland.
See table 3.4. in annex ‘Quality report tables Asylum’.
Persons.
Foreigners and stateless persons.
See table 3.6. in annex ‘Quality report tables Asylum’.
Ireland
Calendar month, calendar quarter and calendar year.
Data is considered highly accurate. Any errors are revised when they are encountered or identified.
Number of persons.
Not applicable.
Department of Justice, administrative data.
See table 18.1. in annex ‘Quality report tables Asylum’.
Data is updated on the websites monthly.
The data are provided to Eurostat within the requested deadlines.
Data is geographically comparable across the country.
Data are comparable over time.
See table 15.2. in annex ‘Quality report tables Asylum’.
