Immigration Office (Office des étrangers/ Dienst Vreemdelingenzaken).

Statistics Unit

Boulevard Pacheco, 44
B-1000 Bruxelles
Belgium

Data collection on Dublin statistics contains statistical information based on the Article 4.4 of Regulation (EC) No 862/2007 on Community statistics on migration and international protection.

• Incoming ‘Dublin’ requests by submitting country (PARTNER), type of request, legal provision, sex and type of applicant (RI)
• Outgoing ‘Dublin’ requests by receiving country (PARTNER), type of request, legal provision, sex and type of applicant (RO)
• Incoming ‘Dublin’ requests based on EURODAC by submitting country (PARTNER), type of request, legal provision, sex and type of applicant (REDACI)
• Outgoing ‘Dublin’ requests based on EURODAC by receiving country (PARTNER), type of request, legal provision, sex and type of applicant (REDACO)
• Pending ‘Dublin’ incoming requests by submitting country (PARTNER), type of request, sex and type of applicant (RPENI)
• Pending ‘Dublin’ outgoing requests by receiving country (PARTNER), type of request, sex and type of applicant (RPENO)
• Incoming ‘Dublin’ requests for information by submitting country (PARTNER), legal provision, sex and type of applicant (RINFI)
• Outgoing ‘Dublin’ requests for information by receiving country (PARTNER), legal provision, sex and type of applicant (RINFO)
• Incoming responses to ‘Dublin’ requests for information by submitting country (PARTNER), legal provision, duration of response, sex and type of applicant (RESI)
• Outgoing responses to ‘Dublin’ requests for information by receiving country (PARTNER), legal provision, duration of response, sex and type of applicant (RESO)
• Unilateral ‘Dublin’ decisions by partner country, type of decision, sex and type of applicant (DUNI)
• Decisions on incoming ‘Dublin’ requests by submitting country (PARTNER), type of decision, type of request, legal provision, sex and type of applicant (DI)
• Decisions on outgoing ‘Dublin’ requests by receiving country (PARTNER), type of decision, type of request, legal provision, sex and type of applicant (DO)
• Decisions on incoming ‘Dublin’ requests based on EURODAC by submitting country (PARTNER), type of decision, type of request, legal provision, sex and type of applicant (DEDACI)
• Decisions on outgoing ‘Dublin’ requests based on EURODAC by receiving country (PARTNER), type of decision, type of request, legal provision, sex and type of applicant (DEDACO)
• Incoming ‘Dublin’ transfers by submitting country (PARTNER), legal provision, duration of transfer, sex and type of applicant (TI)
• Outgoing ‘Dublin’ transfers by receiving country (PARTNER), legal provision, duration of transfer, sex and type of applicant (TO)
• Pending incoming ‘Dublin’ transfers by submitting country (PARTNER), sex and type of applicant (TPENI)
• Pending outgoing ‘Dublin’ transfers by receiving country (PARTNER), sex and type of applicant (TPENO)

See table 3.2. in annex ‘Quality report tables Dublin 2023’.

Migration and asylum – Dublin statistics.

See table 3.4. in annex ‘Quality report tables Dublin 2023’.

The text of Art.4 of the Regulation (EC) 862/2007 on Migration and international protection refers in general to statistics based on the number of persons and not on the number of applications. However, the article describing the 'Dublin' statistics (Art.4.4) refers to statistics based on the number of requests. Commission services recommend that Art.4.4 (more precisely 4.4.a, 4.4.c and 4.4.d) is interpreted as referring to the number of persons concerned by each request, decision and transfer.

The statistics relating to requests for information relate to the total of files. Therefore they underestimate the actual number of such requests.

See table 3.6. in annex ‘Quality report tables Dublin 2023’.

Belgium.

See table 3.8. in annex ‘Quality report tables Dublin 2023’.

Regulation (EC) 862/2007 applies to Dublin statistics collected since 2008. However, the statistical needs have evolved over time and additional disaggregation have been added over the years.

In 2008, the Dublin data collection included:

• Incoming and outgoing requests, requests accepted, refused and transferred
  • Total number of requests, requests accepted, refused and transferred
  • Total number of taking charge requests, requests accepted, refused and transferred, split in three categories based on the legal provision;
  • Total number of taking back requests, requests accepted, refused and transferred split in four categories based on the legal provision;
• Incoming and outgoing requests, requests accepted, and refused
  • EURODAC total, split in total number of (accepted/refused of) taking charge requests and (accepted/refused of) taking charge requests;
• Incoming and outgoing requests
  • Total number of pending incoming/outgoing requests at the end of the reference period;
  • Total number of requests for information and answers to requests for information.
  • Request for re-examination were not counted as a separate request; in case of re-examination, only the final decisions were recorded, not the decision on the initial request.
• Statistics on transfers did not include successful transfers where the applicant otherwise travelled back to the Member State responsible on its own within the transfer time limits, without the national authorities organising the actual transfer.

Transfers from the incoming dataset were not transmitted by Belgium in 2008-2011. The total number of transfers from the outgoing dataset could not be transmitted due to a Eurostat technical problem in 2008.

From 2011, data transmitted to Eurostat are produced using a procedure established at the end of 2010 and slightly modified annually from this date. Data for the years of reference 2008 and 2009 were reproduced using these new methods.

These European data differed from previously produced European data that were not in line with article 4.4 of the Regulation (EC) 862/2007. In particular, they refer to the number of persons concerned by the request, decision and transfer and not anymore to the number of requests, decisions and transfers.

The procedure for identifying pending requests was modified for 2011 data to correct a mistake. As a consequence, 2011 and 2010 data on pending requests are not comparable for this indicator.

The coverage of all statistics was slightly improved for data related to the year of reference 2012. Before 2012, data covered only requests and decisions made by the specific unit in charge of Dublin cases (in charge of the majority of cases). From 2012, data also include requests and decisions made by other units of the Belgian immigration unit.

In 2015, they were some changes (in application from the 2014 dataset):

• The numbers of taking charge requests, requests accepted, refused and transferred were split in 14 categories based on the legal provision;
• The number of requests for information was split in three categories based on legal provision;
• The number of answers to requests for information was split in three categories based on legal provision (from the new Dublin III regulation), each split in two categories (replies received/sent within 5 weeks or in more than 5 weeks); Belgian data on requests for information were neither available by reason nor by length of time between the request and the answer.
• Re-examination requests could be transmitted on a voluntary basis. Belgium was unable to transmit them.
• For the transfers: total number of incoming pending transfers at the end of the reference period (not transmitted by Belgium before the 2016 dataset) and disaggregation by the time period during which transfer was carried out (within 6 months, within 12 months and within 18 months) were requested.
• Statistics on sovereignty clause and responsibility by default were introduced, by legal provision (art. 17.1, art. 3.2, 1°, art. 3.2, 2° and 3° and art. 29.2). These statistics were not transmitted by Belgium before the 2016 dataset.

In 2020, Regulation (EU) 2020/851 amended Regulation (EC) No 862/2007 on Community statistics on migration and international protection.

• Statistics on re-examination requests (requests, legal provision, decisions and transfers) are now mandatory. They are now only available for the incoming dataset ;
• The Dublin statistics must be disaggregated by sex and by accompanied and unaccompanied minors.
• An “unknown” category is foreseen for the duration of replies to requests for information;
• Successful transfers where the applicant otherwise travelled back to the Member State responsible on its own within the transfer time limits, without the national authorities organising the actual transfer, have to be reported. Belgium is unable to report them all.

All information about the current Belgian Dublin data collection are to be found in this document.

Not applicable.

For most of the statistics, each person is reported individually i.e. in case a request/decision covers several family members each family member is reported individually.

Each submitted or received request/decision and transfer concerning the same person during the same reference year is reported. This implies that one person can be reported more than once during the reference year in the same dataset.

For the categories 'Requests based on a Eurodac hit' and 'Decisions based on a Eurodac hit' all persons covered by these requests/decisions are reported, i.e. including children below 14 who are not fingerprinted.

The statistics relating to requests for information relate to the total of file numbers. Therefore they underestimate the actual number of such requests.

Calendar year.

The Dublin III data collection consists of annual tables, completed by Belgian data suppliers and sent to Eurostat within three months after the end of the reference year. The first reference year of this data collection is 2008. The first reference year after the adoption of Regulation (EU) 2020/851 amending Regulation (EC) No 862/2007 on Community statistics on migration and international protection is 2021.

The Immigration Office is - according to art. 51/5 of the law of December 15, 1980 on access to the territory, stay, establishment and removal of foreigners - the competent administrative authority for the application of the Dublin III regulation (Regulation 604/2013) and is therefore designated as the producer of European statistics relating to the Dublin III regulation as foreseen in the article 4.4 of Regulation 862/2007.

Statbel, the Belgian statistical office, formalized this by communicating the name of the Statistical Service of the Immigration Office as another producer of European statistics, in particular concerning statistics relating to the Dublin III regulation as foreseen in the article 4.4 of Regulation (EC) 862/2007. By this statute of producer of European statistical data, the statistical service of the Immigration Office must therefore be considered as one of the “other Belgian statistical authorities” as defined in Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 on European statistics.

Information on the existence of a national policy for (not) releasing the Dublin data before a certain time after the end of reference period has passed:

All statistical data are published within the regulatory deadlines. No national policy prevents us from publishing statistics before this deadline. Statistics are published when their quality is considered sufficient.

Required confidentiality by law and signed legal confidentiality commitments by survey staff:

All the officials of the Immigration Office have signed a declaration aimed at protecting the confidentiality of data.

Potential micro-data access for research purposes by external users and confidentiality provisions applied:

Access to micro-data is possible while respecting the general data protection regulation (regulation 2016/679). More information on the procedure implemented in this context can be requested from the Data Protection Officer of the Immigration Office. The contact details are available on the website of the Immigration Office:

In French:
https://dofi.ibz.be/fr/traitement-des-donnees-caractere-personnel

In Dutch:
https://dofi.ibz.be/nl/verwerking-van-persoonsgegevens

Procedures for ensuring confidentiality during collection, processing and dissemination, including rules for determining confidential cells:

All information relating to the personal data collected and their processing is available on the website of the Immigration Office.

In French:
https://dofi.ibz.be/fr/traitement-des-donnees-caractere-personnel

In Dutch:
https://dofi.ibz.be/nl/verwerking-van-persoonsgegevens

All information relating to the personal data collected and their processing is available on the website of the Immigration Office.

In French:
https://dofi.ibz.be/fr/traitement-des-donnees-caractere-personnel

In Dutch:
https://dofi.ibz.be/nl/verwerking-van-persoonsgegevens

Within three months after the end of the reference year.

Information relating to the publication calendar is available on the website of the Immigration Office:

In French:
https://dofi.ibz.be/fr/themes/chiffres/protection-internationale/statistiques-europeennes/statistiques-dites-dublin

In Dutch:
https://dofi.ibz.be/nl/themes/chiffres/protection-internationale/statistiques-europeennes/dublin-statistieken

Methodology
The methodology applied is documented on the Eurostat website:

https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/cache/metadata/fr/migr_dub_esms.htm

Statistics on this topic are updated to reflect data for the previous year within 3 months of the end of the reference year.

Dublin statistics and related information are available on / via the website of the Immigration Office:

In French:
https://dofi.ibz.be/fr/themes/chiffres/protection-internationale/statistiques-europeennes/statistiques-dites-dublin

In Dutch:
https://dofi.ibz.be/nl/themes/chiffres/protection-internationale/statistiques-europeennes/dublin-statistieken

Dublin statistics are published once a year. In addition, some similar data are disseminated monthly at national level.

Not applicable.

Annual and monthly publication on Dublin statistics are foreseen from 2021. Limited elements are also included in existing reports at the level of international protection and return.

No Belgian online database directly accessible to the public. The statistics are available on the Eurostat website.

Limited elements are available on the Website of the immigration Office:

- https://dofi.ibz.be/fr/themes/chiffres/protection-internationale/statistiques-nationales

- https://dofi.ibz.be/fr/themes/chiffres/protection-internationale/statistiques-europeennes/statistiques-dites-dublin

- https://dofi.ibz.be/fr/themes/chiffres/rapports-annuels

- https://dofi.ibz.be/fr/themes/chiffres/eloignement/eloignements-effectifs/statistiques-nationales

Not applicable.

This must be agreed upon when signing the memorandum of understanding to access the microdata.

The metadate are complete and accessible online.

Not applicable.

This document gives some explanations on the methodology used to produce the Dublin statistics. There is also a methodology part at the end of each publication at national level, available on the Website of the immigration Office: https://dofi.ibz.be/fr/figures/international-protection/application-dublin-regulation/statistiques-nationales.

Not applicable.

The quality assessment is made in this document itself as well as at the end of the monthly reports that is published at national level and available on the Website of the immigration Office: https://dofi.ibz.be/fr/figures/international-protection/application-dublin-regulation/statistiques-nationales.

Not available.

Good quality for the majority of the datasets.

For the following datasets:

• Outgoing 'Dublin' requests by receiving country (PARTNER), type of request, legal provision, sex and type of applicant
• Outgoing 'Dublin' requests based on EURODAC by receiving country (PARTNER), type of request, legal provision, sex and type of applicant
• Pending 'Dublin' outgoing requests by receiving country (PARTNER), type of request, sex and type of applicant
• Decisions on outgoing 'Dublin' requests by receiving country (PARTNER), type of decision, type of request, legal provision, sex and type of applicant
• Decisions on outgoing 'Dublin' requests based on EURODAC by receiving country (PARTNER), type of decision, type of request, legal provision, sex and type of applicant

The quality is good. However, these tables have a 50% completeness rate because re-examination requests are not yet available. The new database, currently under development, should make it possible to provide this data.

Incoming 'Dublin' requests for information by submitting country (PARTNER), legal provision, sex and type of applicant : Sufficient quality

These statistics are underestimated due to a technical limitation of the current application used to record the related data. In addition, the legal provision is not available for the same reason. Requests which do not fall under the general reason constitute a minority of cases. A new application, which should solve this problem, is in development.

Outgoing 'Dublin' requests for information by receiving country (PARTNER), legal provision, sex and type of applicant : Sufficient quality

These statistics are underestimated due to a technical limitation of the current application used to record the related data. In addition, the legal provision is not available for the same reason. Requests which do not fall under the general reason constitute a minority of cases. A new application, which should solve this problem, is in development.

Incoming responses to 'Dublin' requests for information by submitting country (PARTNER), legal provision, duration of response, sex and type of applicant : Sufficient quality

These statistics are underestimated due to a technical limitation of the current application used to record the related data. In addition, some variables (legal provision, duration of response) are not available for the same reason. Requests whose response is sent after five weeks constitute a minority of cases. A new application, which should solve this problem, is in development.

Outgoing responses to 'Dublin' requests for information by receiving country (PARTNER), legal provision, duration of response, sex and type of applicant : Sufficient quality

These statistics are underestimated due to a technical limitation of the current application used to record the related data. In addition, some variables (legal provision, duration of response) are not available for the same reason. Requests whose response is received after five weeks constitute a minority of cases. A new application, which should solve this problem, is in development.

The statistics collected under Regulation (EC) 862/2007 are used by a wide range of users at national, European and International level to cover various usersʼ needs.

Users of Dublin statistics :
The Dublin statistics produced are regularly used by national administrations, academic researchers and civil society groups working essentially on the monitoring of national asylum and immigration procedures.
At European level, the main users of Dublin statistics are Eurostat, EUAA and FRONTEX.

Unmet user needs (on statistics) and reasons why these needs cannot be satisfied (at national and international level) :
Some users ask for statistics on variables other than the variables requested by Eurostat. These include statistics on persons detained within the framework of the Dublin procedure, or statistics on decisions to refuse residence with an order to leave the territory taken after receipt of a Dublin agreement. The priority of the service being to provide quality Eurostat statistics, we were therefore not always able to provide a (complete) response to these requests. We have started working on some recurring requests.

Not available.

See table 12.3. in annex ‘Quality report tables Dublin 2023’.

Not applicable.

The accuracy of the Belgian Dublin statistics is high, except for :

- the 4 datasets concerning the requests for information (incoming and outgoing 'Dublin' requests for information and incoming and outgoing responses to 'Dublin' requests for information), for which the accuracy is low ;

- the 2 datasets concerning the pending 'Dublin' transfers (both incoming and outgoing), for which the accuracy is good.

The following tables have a 50% completeness rate:

- RO (outgoing requests)

- REDACO (outgoing requests based on Eurodac)

- RPENO (outgoing requests)

- DO (decisions on outgoing requests)

- DEDACO (decisions on outgoing requests based on Eurodac).

Re-examination requests are not yet available. The new database, currently under development, should make it possible to provide this data.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

• Relocated persons might be reported (less than 5 persons per year).
• We are unable to identify when a transfer should occur within the 18 months of acceptance by another Member State.
• Sample or systematic tests are conducted twice a month for unaccompanied minors and accompanied children.
• Statistics on decisions and agreements are compared to transfer decisions, with deadlines checked to add any missing decisions.
• Errors detected are corrected promptly before data transmission to Eurostat. Annual Dublin data are consolidated yearly, initially on a temporary basis to correct problematic data, then finalized.
• Statistics requested by third parties or for pilot studies may be reviewed differently or recompiled. If errors or significant differences are found with Eurostat data, corrections are made.

Relocated persons might be reported (less than 5 persons per year).

We are also unable to identify when a transfer should be carried out within the 18 months of acceptance of the request by another Member State to take charge or to take back the person concerned.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Sample or systematic tests are carried out twice a month for unaccompanied minors and accompanied children. Statistics relating to decisions and agreements are also compared to transfer decisions, and decision deadlines are checked in order to add any missing decisions.
Any errors detected are corrected as quickly as possible, and before data transmission to Eurostat.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Sample or systematic tests are carried out twice a month for unaccompanied minors and accompanied children. Statistics relating to decisions and agreements are also compared to transfer decisions, and decision deadlines are checked in order to add any missing decisions.

Annual Dublin data are consolidated once a year. They are drawn for the first time on a temporary basis, in order to isolate the problematic data and to correct them. When the corrections are made, these statistics are drawn definitively.

However, when requesting statistics by third parties or for the pilot studies, statistics sent to Eurostat may be examined from an unusual angle or the statistics for the previous year can be compiled again.
If we find an error or a significant difference with the data transmitted to Eurostat, a correction will be made to the transmitted statistics.

Not applicable.

- Number of days (on average) after the end of the reference period at which the country is able to report the first/preliminary data, at the earliest : 15 days.

- Reasons for possible long production of the first/preliminary data and plans to improve the situation : Absence, including for the agents of the service responsible for encoding, technical problem with the Dublin application or other technical problems.

- Number of days (on average) after the end of the reference period at which the country is able to report the final data, at the earliest : Approximately 75 days after the end of the reference period.

- Reasons for possible long production of the final data and plans to improve the situation :

Correction time is required to verify and consolidate the data. If a technical problem arises with the Dublin application during the last encoding, corrections or compilation of statistics, it will be impossible to provide the corrected and consolidated data on time.
All data is backed up monthly by the Statistics department, and the IT department is working on creating a new, more stable application, adapted to new Eurostat requirements.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

See table 14.2. in annex ‘Quality report tables Dublin 2023’.

Not applicable.

Regarding the working method, the statistics are comparable from 2012:

• use of the Dublin application to encode Dublin cases ;
• registering of applicants for international protection and people staying illegally on the Belgium territory, who were in a Dublin procedure;
• reference to the number of people and not of files (except for the requests for information).

Statistics on pending transfers and on sovereignty and responsibility by default are only available from 2016.

Not applicable.

See table 15.2. in annex ‘Quality report tables Dublin 2023’ and 3.8 - Coverage - Time.

Not applicable.

Despite monthly verifications, slight coherence problems may arise with national statistics on returns.

Monthly statistics sent to EUAA are slightly different from the annual statistic because we do not correct this data set after it is sent to EUAA. These are operational data.

Not applicable.

Dublin statistics on requests to take back or charge, decisions and transfers are coming from the same application, with the same technical requirements, and are therefore coherent.
For the Dublin statistics on requests for information, the statistical unit is the file and not the person.
Statistic on unilateral decision are not linked with the Dublin application. We can only count the persons when their asylum application is effectively transmitted to the CGRS and not, for art. 29.2, when the deadline for the transfer is over.

Not available

Annual Dublin data are consolidated once a year. They are drawn for the first time on a temporary basis, in order to isolate the problematic data and to correct them. When the corrections are made, these statistics are drawn definitively.

See table 17.2. in annex ‘Quality report tables Dublin 2023’.

Not applicable.

See table 18.1. in annex ‘Quality report tables Dublin 2023’.

Data is collected continuously and is consolidated monthly (operational data). Data for the whole year is again consolidated, checked and corrected before transmission to Eurostat.

Data regarding the 'Dublin' requests is registered in the Dublin App by the Dublin Unit and is then automatically linked with the database of the Immigration Office and the National Register. However, for some more recent data and disaggregations a manual check in the database of the Immigration Office is still needed. This concerns :

• the characteristics of accompanied minors (citizenship, sex, date of birth);
• data related to the unilateral 'Dublin' decisions (decision and type of decision).

Data is collected continuously and is consolidated monthly (operational data). Data for the whole year is again consolidated, checked and corrected before transmission to Eurostat.

Data is consolidated monthly (operational data). Different checks are performed at the begin of each month, and the Dublin Unit or the IT services make the necessary corrections and adjunctions. Then, the data is consolidated and the statistics are sent to the services concerned, which can still provide their comments before the publication of the national statistics on the website of the Immigration Office.

Data for the whole year is again consolidated, checked and corrected before final consolidation and transmission to Eurostat.

For Dublin statistics on requests to take back or charge, decisions and transfers: data from the Dublin application, Evibel (the database of the Immigration Office) and the National Register is injected by ICT into a Data Warehouse from which the data is imported and examined in SAS. These data are then processed and any inconsistencies identified are sent to the competent service for correction. After correction, the data are processed, validated and the results are transmitted (monthly to EUAA, annually to Eurostat).
For the Dublin statistics on requests for information: it is possible to draw summary statistics through the data warehouse. A new application, which should solve this problem, is in development.
Data on unilateral decision come from an SQL report produced by the ICT, which is sourced from Evibel and the National Register. This report is then subject to manual verification by officers of the Dublin unit in the database of the Immigration Office, then imported into SAS for further verifications, correction and validation.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

No statistical technique applied.