1.1. Contact organisation
Police and Border Guard Board
1.2. Contact organisation unit
Estonian Police and Border Guard Board analysis unit.
1.3. Contact name
Confidential because of GDPR
1.4. Contact person function
Confidential because of GDPR
1.5. Contact mail address
Estonia. Pärnu mnt 139, Tallinn.
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 March 2024
2.2. Metadata last posted
25 March 2024
2.3. Metadata last update
28 March 2025
3.1. Data description
Enforcement of immigration legislation data (EIL statistics) contain statistical information based on Article 5 and 7 of the Regulation (EC) No 862/2007 as amended by the Regulation (EU) 2020/851 with reference to third-country nationals:
- refused entry at the external border,
- found to be illegally present,
- ordered to leave,
- returned following an order to leave.
3.2. Classification system
See table 3.2. in annex ‘Quality report tables EIL 2024’.
3.3. Coverage - sector
Migration and asylum – Enforcement of Immigration Legislation statistics
3.4. Statistical concepts and definitions
See table 3.4. in annex ‘Quality report tables EIL 2024’.
3.5. Statistical unit
Number of persons
3.6. Statistical population
See table 3.6. in annex ‘Quality report tables EIL 2024’.
3.7. Reference area
Estonia
3.8. Coverage - Time
See table 3.8. in annex ‘Quality report tables EIL 2024’.
3.9. Base period
Not applicable.
Number of persons
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 requirement of Article 5 and 7 of Council Regulation (EC) No 862/2007 of 11 July 2007 as amended by the Regulation 2020/851 which depicts in details the data provisions Member States are bound to supply Eurostat with.
As required on Article 9 of regulation 862/2007 Member State (inc. Estonia) must report to Eurostat on the data sources used, the reasons for the selection of the sources and the effect of the selected data of the quality of the statistics. Member States (inc Estonia) shall provide Eurostat with all the information necessary to evaluate the quality, comparability and completeness of the statistical information.
There are no separate data sharing agreements at the national level. The principles of data sharing are regulated by internal agreements and documents. General data protection principles are located here Personal Data Protection Act.
6.2. Institutional Mandate - data sharing
On our national level, statistic on concerning border crossings (including illegal border crossings) and returns is shared internally with relevant ministeries, organizations etc. On European level, the data is shared with Frontex.
7.1. Confidentiality - policy
Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 on European statistics (recital 24 and Article 20(4)) of 11 March 2009 (OJ L 87, p. 164), stipulates the need to establish common principles and guidelines ensuring the confidentiality of data used for the production of European statistics and the access to those confidential data with due account for technical developments and the requirements of users in a democratic society.
The personal data of third-country nationals (including illegaly staying third country nationals) is processed and used for the purpose of conducting the procedure for Persoanl Data Protection Act, Aliens Act and Obligation to Leave and Prohibition on Entry Act. Police and Border Guard Board employees must follow the principles of confidentiality when processing third country national person´s personal data. Procedural rules, obliged for every user who process the personal data, are set up to define 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
Not applicable.
8.1. Release calendar
The dissemination of the annual statistics is mainly in March of each year for the previous reference year, depending on the data availability. Quaterly statistics is disseminated four times a year. through Eurostat online databases. In Police and Border Guard open data, we display the data of border crossings.
8.2. Release calendar access
Not applicable.
8.3. Release policy - user access
In line with the Community legal framework and the European Statistics Code of Practice Eurostat disseminates European statistics on Eurostat's website (see item 10 - 'Accessibility and clarity') respecting professional independence and in an objective, professional and transparent manner in which all users are treated equitably. The detailed arrangements are governed by the Eurostat protocol on impartial access to Eurostat data for users.
Annual and quarterly data.
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
The statistics collected under the Regulation 862/2007 are widely used in official publications and by a wide range of users at national, European and International level.
Users of Eurostat EIL statistics area
- various policy DG-s in European Commission, like DG Migration and Home Affairs for designing, funding and implementing return policies in EU,
- European Parliament,
- national authorities (Ministries of Interior, Ministries of Justice, immigration agencies), who use EIL statistics to monitor trend of illegal immigration and return,
- European Migration Network (EMN), which uses the data as basis for its annual EU and national level statistical and analytical reports,
- researcher and students conducting analysis and research in the field of migration
- journalists and international organizations in the area of migration
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
Not available information.
12.3. Completeness
See table 12.3. in annex ‘Quality report tables EIL 2024’.
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
See table 13.3.1. in annex ‘Quality report tables EIL 2024’.
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 earliest after the end of the reference period. Data should be reported to Eurostat no later than 3 months after the end of the reference period for annual data collection and no later than 2 months after the end of the reference period for quarterly statistics.
Estonia. There are no time lags and data is reported on time.
14.1.1. Time lag - first result
Not applicable.
14.1.2. Time lag - final result
Not applicable.
14.2. Punctuality
See table 14.2. in annex ‘Quality report tables EIL 2024’.
14.2.1. Punctuality - delivery and publication
Not applicable.
15.1. Comparability - geographical
No problems.
15.1.1. Asymmetry for mirror flow statistics - coefficient
Not applicable.
15.2. Comparability - over time
See table 15.2. in annex ‘Quality report tables EIL 2024’.
15.2.1. Length of comparable time series
Not applicable.
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
See table 15.3. in annex ‘Quality report tables EIL 2024’. NB! There are some differences between Eurostat and Frontex return data, the main reason is the difference in time reporting (to Frontex once a month, to Eurostat once in a quarter and once a year). The number of returns changes, depending how many thrid country nationals have accualy left at reporting period.
15.3.1. Coherence - sub annual and annual statistics
Not applicable.
15.3.2. Coherence - National Accounts
Not applicable.
15.4. Coherence - internal
No problems.
Not applicable.
17.1. Data revision - policy
Not applicable.
17.2. Data revision - practice
See table 17.2. in annex ‘Quality report tables EIL 2024’.
17.2.1. Data revision - average size
Not applicable.
18.1. Source data
See table 18.1. in annex ‘Quality report tables EIL 2024’.
18.2. Frequency of data collection
Annual and quarterly.
18.3. Data collection
Administrative data sources only. Data are compiled from the administrative records of the national authorities, mainly the Ministries of Interior or Immigration Agencies.
The statistics presented in this volume were collected by national authorities and supplied to Eurostat in XLS format (EXCEL worksheeet). Data is collected by Police and Border Guard Board from database on monthly bases (presented once a year and also quaterly bases).
18.4. Data validation
The source data are checked and validated before compiling the aggregates output statistics sent to Eurostat.
Data are validated through all processing steps, combining manual/visual validation with some tools integrated within the templates and the production environment. For example: checks of totals consistency; checks of magnitude of changes over time; using visual validation (visual verification of the tables or the graph resulted); checking the data integrity over each processing step; using special programs/software for data validation; checking if the double counting cases are excluded; checking the consistency between datasets; Checking the consistency between “TCN-s subjects to an obligation to leave” and “TCN-s who actually left the territory”.; checking the consistency between “TCN-s who returned to a Third Country” and “TCN-s who actually left the territory”.
18.5. Data compilation
Data is based on Regulation (EC) No 862/2007. The collected data is concerted into statistical output. Estimation is not used.
18.5.1. Imputation - rate
Not applicable.
18.6. Adjustment
Not applicable.
18.6.1. Seasonal adjustment
Not applicable.
Enforcement of immigration legislation data (EIL statistics) contain statistical information based on Article 5 and 7 of the Regulation (EC) No 862/2007 as amended by the Regulation (EU) 2020/851 with reference to third-country nationals:
- refused entry at the external border,
- found to be illegally present,
- ordered to leave,
- returned following an order to leave.
28 March 2025
See table 3.4. in annex ‘Quality report tables EIL 2024’.
Number of persons
See table 3.6. in annex ‘Quality report tables EIL 2024’.
Estonia
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 Regulation (EC) No 862/2007. The collected data is concerted into statistical output. Estimation is not used.
See table 18.1. in annex ‘Quality report tables EIL 2024’.
Annual and quarterly data.
The first data can be reported in 30 days at earliest after the end of the reference period. Data should be reported to Eurostat no later than 3 months after the end of the reference period for annual data collection and no later than 2 months after the end of the reference period for quarterly statistics.
Estonia. There are no time lags and data is reported on time.
No problems.
See table 15.2. in annex ‘Quality report tables EIL 2024’.
