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.
National Statistics Office, Lascaris, Valletta VLT 2000, Malta
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
25 April 2024
2.2. Metadata last posted
25 April 2024
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Asylum applications withdrawn by citizenship, age, sex and type of withdrawal (also for unaccompanied minors);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
Similar 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
Malta
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 December 2022 (derogation).
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 NSO, as an office set up by the Malta Statistics Authority Act, aims to comply with both national and European Data Protection and statistical legislation, the said Act – Chapter 422 of the Laws of Malta, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act – Chapter 586 of the Laws of Malta.
6.2. Institutional Mandate - data sharing
Information provided to the NSO is treated as confidential. This information is used solely in the compilation of statistical reports. No information on individual returns can be given to any external public or private entity.
7.1. Confidentiality - policy
The General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 (Cap 586 of the Laws of Malta) regulate the processing of personal data whether held electronically or in manual form. The NSO is set to fully comply with the data protection principles as set out in the Data Protection legislation. The basic principles by which the NSO processes the personal data of the public, business partners and other individuals are set out in the Personal Data Protection Policy, which also indicates the responsibilities of its business departments and employees while processing personal data. All NSO statistical officers undertake the oath of secrecy as prescribed by the Malta Statistics Authority Act. The oath places added legal responsibility on the officers of statistics to make appropriate use of the data being handled. Further information on Privacy Policy in NSO Malta | Privacy Policy - NSO Malta.
7.2. Confidentiality - data treatment
For data disseminated by Eurostat, rounding is applied prior to dissemination.
In the case of national data dissemination, while only aggregate data is disseminated, tables are reviewed for possible confidentiality issues as a result of breakdowns and small counts. When issues arise, numbers are suppressed or categories regrouped to avoid counts smaller than 3 in a cell.
8.1. Release calendar
Data is published annually in the News Release published to mark World Refugee Day which is available online. The NSO online calendar is accessible in NSO Malta | Calendars - NSO Malta.
An advanced release calendar is published online. Requests may also be made to the NSO directly for any additional data.
Dissemination is conducted annually through a news release published on World Refugee Day. Data are published regularly on Eurostat database.
10.1. Dissemination format - News release
Data are published annually in the News Release published on World Refugee Day which is available online.
10.2. Dissemination format - Publications
Not applicable.
10.3. Dissemination format - online database
Currently not available nationally. Data available on Eurostat database.
10.3.1. Data tables - consultations
Not applicable.
10.4. Dissemination format - microdata access
Micro-data are not disseminated.
10.5. Dissemination format - other
Not applicable.
10.5.1. Metadata - consultations
Not applicable.
10.6. Documentation on methodology
Methodological notes published with accompanying news releases on the NSO website.
10.6.1. Metadata completeness - rate
Not applicable.
10.7. Quality management - documentation
See 11. Quality management.
11.1. Quality assurance
The NSO has a commitment to quality management, and this is ingrained in the NSO’s operations. Moreover, rigorous standards for confidentiality and data protection were validated by ISO 27001 certification in 2019. The NSO also maintains a dedicated website related to metadata reporting which can be found in NSO Metadata.
In October of 2022, the National Statistics Office (NSO) underwent a peer review conducted by a team of European experts. This review aimed to evaluate the NSO’s operations and its adherence to the European Statistical System’s (ESS) Code of Practice.
11.2. Quality management - assessment
In October of 2022, the National Statistics Office (NSO) underwent a peer review conducted by a team of European experts. The team formulated a total of sixteen recommendations, consisting of two compliance-related suggestions and fourteen improvement-oriented ones. These recommendations were categorised into four overarching themes:
Enhancing Governance, Coordination, and Resource Allocation.
Reinforcing Quality Management.
Modernizing Statistical Processes and Approaches through Innovation and Efficiency.
Enhancing the Recognition and Value of Official Statistics through Improved Communication.
The statistics collected under this domain are used by a wide range of users at national, European and International level to cover various users' needs. European Migration Network (EMN), UNHCR, national entities, press, students and researchers.
Further information may be requested but information available only covers data that are collected in the administrative process. For example, for applications and decisions, only information that is relevant to the application for asylum is collected.
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 reported statistics measure accurately the target population, as foreseen by Regulation 862/2007 and as defined in the Technical Guidelines for Asylum statistics. Processing of asylum applicants is conducted through single centralised entities, and these are the sources for the data used to compile the statistics. Coverage is considered to be complete.
13.2. Sampling error
Not applicable.
13.2.1. Sampling error - indicators
Not applicable.
13.3. Non-sampling error
This is generally not applicable since estimates are not based on a sample. Data processed within this domain emerges from a centralised system that has full coverage of the target population.
13.3.1. Coverage error
These are expected to be low since coverage is deemed to be complete and the entire population is included.
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
While processing errors are possible, they are expected to be insignificant. Established querying procedures are in place to ensure consistency of data extraction. Data come from a centralised database where completeness is high.
13.3.5. Model assumption error
Not applicable.
14.1. Timeliness
All data processed and submitted within the regulated 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
Estimates are produced at the national level. All guidelines outlined by Eurostat are followed in data compilation therefore data can be considered comparable with other MS.
15.1.1. Asymmetry for mirror flow statistics - coefficient
Not applicable.
15.2. Comparability - over time
Data are comparable over time, except pending applications and withdrawn applications.
Prior to 2014, table A02 did not include pending applicants from the International Protection Appeals Board. As from January 2014, these are being included (break in time series).
Prior to 2014, table A03 did not include pending applicants from the International Protection Appeals Board. These have been included as of January 2014 (break in time series).
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
Coherence with other statistics is not possible since the data compiled is only available from the sources which are being used for data production.
The data sources used in the compilation of statistical tables on persons seeking international protection are also used for the compilation of migration statistics within the domain of demography however due to methodological differences and differences in the definition of the population within this the domain, the estimates may not be fully comparable.
15.3.1. Coherence - sub annual and annual statistics
The same data sources are used for monthly, quarterly and annual tables where applicable. While changes may occur in the data due to updates in the asylum process along the time period, sub-annual and annual data are considered coherent.
15.3.2. Coherence - National Accounts
Not applicable.
15.4. Coherence - internal
The data used to compile these statistics has been maintained by the same stakeholders and have been provided to us routinely since these statistics have been compiled. Any changes in the data fields that were implemented by the source aimed to fulfil new requirements for our statistical production. Apart from these required changes, the data has remained consistent with time in terms of content and structure.
Given that the deadlines presented by Regulation (EC) No. 862/2007 are continuous, the production of such figures present a considerable burden for the national authorities involved.
17.1. Data revision - policy
Revisions within the domain are conducted on an ad hoc basis if deemed necessary. In most instances this would be following the identification of errors, possible changes in national policies which govern the asylum process or the identification of new sources which would improve the quality of the data.
The manner with which figures are revised if necessary follow the guidelines of the European Statistics Code of Practice and Regulation (EC) No. 862/2007.
17.2. Data revision - practice
Asylum applicants – revision of 2024 data in May 2025 and revision of 2021-2022 data in January 2023.
Pending applications – revision of April-August 2023 data in November 2023 and revision of 2021-2022 data in January 2023.
Withdrawn first instance decisions – revision of Q1 2024 data in August 2024.
Rejected applicants at final decisions – revisions of 2017-2020 data in March 2022.
Persons granted refugee status at final decisions – revisions of 2017-2020 data in March 2022.
Resettled persons – revision of 2023 data in June 2025, by adding the resettlement framework.
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 of International Protection Agency, International Protection Appeals Tribunal, Agency for the Welfare of Asylum Seekers, Migration Directorate, and Ministry for Home Affairs, Security and Employment.
See table 18.1. in annex ‘Quality report tables Asylum’.
18.2. Frequency of data collection
Monthly, quarterly and annually.
18.3. Data collection
International Protection Agency (IPA): Since January 2019 the National Statistics Office has direct access to the updated system recording applications for asylum as registered and maintained by the IPA. Data are processed and used to compile tables in line with Regulation (EU) No. 862/2007. Prior to 2019, the data collection system used by the IPA (then the Office of the Refugee Commissioner) was hosted and managed by the National Statistics Office.
International Protection Appeals Tribunal: Data collected from the International Protection Appeals Tribunal covers appeals on decisions taken by the IPA. It is then processed and used in the compilation of the data tables required to satisfy Regulation (EU) No. 862/2007.
18.4. Data validation
There are several steps:
Check that the population coverage is accurate, as required according to the definitions of the Technical guidelines.
Compare the data with data of previous periods.
Check for outliers.
Investigate inconsistencies in the statistics (checking the consistency of "Total" values over each variable).
Verify the statistics against expectations and domain intelligence.
18.5. Data compilation
Data is compiled according to the Technical Guidelines provided in line with Regulation (EC) No. 862/2007. Querying procedures have been developed based on the guidelines and ensure consistency in extraction over time. Any issues in the data and final outputs that are flagged during validation are discussed with the data source.
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
Similar 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’.
Malta
Calendar month, calendar quarter and calendar year.
The reported statistics measure accurately the target population, as foreseen by Regulation 862/2007 and as defined in the Technical Guidelines for Asylum statistics. Processing of asylum applicants is conducted through single centralised entities, and these are the sources for the data used to compile the statistics. Coverage is considered to be complete.
Number of persons.
Data is compiled according to the Technical Guidelines provided in line with Regulation (EC) No. 862/2007. Querying procedures have been developed based on the guidelines and ensure consistency in extraction over time. Any issues in the data and final outputs that are flagged during validation are discussed with the data source.
Administrative data of International Protection Agency, International Protection Appeals Tribunal, Agency for the Welfare of Asylum Seekers, Migration Directorate, and Ministry for Home Affairs, Security and Employment.
See table 18.1. in annex ‘Quality report tables Asylum’.
Dissemination is conducted annually through a news release published on World Refugee Day. Data are published regularly on Eurostat database.
All data processed and submitted within the regulated deadlines.
Estimates are produced at the national level. All guidelines outlined by Eurostat are followed in data compilation therefore data can be considered comparable with other MS.
Data are comparable over time, except pending applications and withdrawn applications.
Prior to 2014, table A02 did not include pending applicants from the International Protection Appeals Board. As from January 2014, these are being included (break in time series).
Prior to 2014, table A03 did not include pending applicants from the International Protection Appeals Board. These have been included as of January 2014 (break in time series).
See table 15.2. in annex ‘Quality report tables Asylum’.
