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.
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Asylum applications withdrawn by citizenship, age, sex and type of withdrawal (also for unaccompanied minors);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
Similar as Eurostat.
For resettled persons, decision is applicable only Geneva Convention status or Subsidiary protection status, and resettlement framework is only national framework (Other).
Stateless persons including Palestinians for 2023 and previous years.
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
Foreigners and stateless persons.
See table 3.6. in annex ‘Quality report tables Asylum’.
3.7. Reference area
Norway
3.8. Coverage - Time
Time coverage according to Regulation (EC) No 862/2007, from January 2008, eventually January 2021.
Data on withdrawn first instance decisions are not available from Q1 to Q4 2008.
Data on withdrawn final decisions are not available for 2008.
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
Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council on Community statistics on European statistics, which was ratified in March 2009, is applicable to the European Statistical System (ESS) and has been adopted as a regulation pursuant to the Norwegian Statistics Act.
The regulation on European statistics forms the legal framework for the development, preparation and dissemination of European statistics. The regulation is also referred to as the European "Statistics Act" and regulates the cooperation in the ESS.
Norway is a member of the ESS through the EEA agreement. The regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on Community statistics on European statistics was incorporated into Annex XXI of the EEA agreement in December 2009. The regulation was also established in Norwegian law as a regulation pursuant to the Norwegian Statistics Act.
This metadata information is provided by the authorities of Norway to ensure compliance with the requirements of Article 4.1-4.3 of Regulation (EU) 2020/851 Amending Regulation (EC) 862/2007 on Migration and International Protection.
As required by Article 9 of the Regulation (EU) 2020/851 Amending Regulation (EC) No 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
Data sharing is mandatory regulated by the Statistics Act, The Norwegian Freedom of Information Act and The Norwegian Public Administration Act Section 13b states that the overall duty of secrecy pursuant to section 13 shall not prevent: "the information from being used for statistical processing, for the preparation of plans and reports, or in connection with auditing or other forms of control of the public administration".
7.1. Confidentiality - policy
The Norwegian program for producers of official statistics ensures the implementation of the current ESS legal and conceptual framework for confidentiality.
7.2. Confidentiality - data treatment
The Statistics Act § 7. Statistical confidentiality in the dissemination of official statistics requires that The Norwegian Directorate of Immigration does not publish statistics in a manner that allows statistical information to be traced back to individuals or other types of statistical units. Confidentiality can be ensured by using coarser categories, by suppression (hiding values) or by perturbation (changing values). Examples of coarser categories are counties instead of municipalities and age groups of five years instead of single years. Data minimisation is always used in statistical production.
8.1. Release calendar
Statistics should be released and published without delay and according to the release/publication calendar on the UDI website (Innvandring til Norge - UDI).
Statistics is published according to the release calendar. No briefs are given in advance to any actor (press or public decision makers). Occasionally a press conference might take place at the time of release.
Depending on statistical domain. Frequency varies between weekly, monthly, and yearly disseminations.
10.1. Dissemination format - News release
No press release.
10.2. Dissemination format - Publications
Tables on Asylum statistics is published on the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration website (Immigration to Norway - UDI).
10.3. Dissemination format - online database
No online database. See ESTAT database.
10.3.1. Data tables - consultations
Not applicable.
10.4. Dissemination format - microdata access
Micro-data for research can be released after passing an access to data procedure.
Documentation on the application of the UN's Generic Statistical Business Process Model (GSBPM) is under development.
10.6.1. Metadata completeness - rate
Not applicable.
10.7. Quality management - documentation
See 11. Quality management.
11.1. Quality assurance
The quality requirements for official statistics are described in Section 5 of the Statistics Act and the European Statistics Code of Practice (Eurostat, 2017).
Several frameworks for quality in official statistics have been developed internationally and are implemented in Norway.
the European Statistics Code of Practice;
The Fundamental Principles of National Official Statistics (UN);
UN National Quality Assurance Framework (NQAF);
OECD Council Recommendations on Good Statistical Practices;
IMF Data Quality Assessment Framework.
It is Statistics Norway that is responsible for development and implementation of quality assurance framework in Other National Authorities (ONA) producing official statistics. The Directorate of Immigration is one of these ONA. This includes regular meetings, trainings, and peer reviews.
11.2. Quality management - assessment
Under development.
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
Not conducted.
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
Not applicable.
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
High accuracy: The reported statistics' data source are operational data recording a digitalised workflow and measure accurately the target population.
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
Statistical data is usually prepared two working days after the end of the statistical period and released on the fourth working day.
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
No existing problems of comparability between regions and municipalities of Norway.
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
Some cross domain incoherence might occur due to different definitions. Example asylum applications recorded on the date of making the application compared to Eurostat's definition which is the date of lodging/registration the application. Small incoherence < 2% in the statistical period. Total number of applications are equal.
15.3.1. Coherence - sub annual and annual statistics
See 15.3.
15.3.2. Coherence - National Accounts
Not applicable.
15.4. Coherence - internal
Statistics data is consistent.
Not applicable.
17.1. Data revision - policy
According to Eurostat revision policy.
17.2. Data revision - practice
Revisions might occur of data quality reasons.
See table 17.2. in annex ‘Quality report tables Asylum’.
17.2.1. Data revision - average size
Not applicable.
18.1. Source data
Operational data from Case Management System database.
See table 18.1. in annex ‘Quality report tables Asylum’.
18.2. Frequency of data collection
Continuously.
18.3. Data collection
All data are collected from administrative data sources recording administrative events during the relevant procedures. Some data are recorded instantly, hourly and mostly daily.
All relevant data are continuously disseminated by our internal users which have access the source data through Business Intelligence apps. All employees have access and is monitoring the quality constantly.
18.4. Data validation
All data is monitored and validated. Internal validity is ensured since the data which is reported to ESTAT as cross-sectional datasets are organised as longitudinal data of person/procedure.
18.5. Data compilation
All relevant data originates operational data. All operational are connected with unique keys on asylum procedure and person.
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.
Foreigners and stateless persons.
See table 3.6. in annex ‘Quality report tables Asylum’.
Norway
Calendar month, calendar quarter and calendar year.
High accuracy: The reported statistics' data source are operational data recording a digitalised workflow and measure accurately the target population.
Number of persons.
All relevant data originates operational data. All operational are connected with unique keys on asylum procedure and person.
Operational data from Case Management System database.
See table 18.1. in annex ‘Quality report tables Asylum’.
Depending on statistical domain. Frequency varies between weekly, monthly, and yearly disseminations.
Statistical data is usually prepared two working days after the end of the statistical period and released on the fourth working day.
No existing problems of comparability between regions and municipalities of Norway.
Data are comparable over time.
See table 15.2. in annex ‘Quality report tables Asylum’.
