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.
Ministry of the Interior (Ministère de l'intérieur)
1.2. Contact organisation unit
Directorate-General for Foreign Nationals in France - Department of Studies, Statistics and Documentation (Direction Générale des Etrangers en France / Département des statistiques, des études et de la documentation (DSED))
1.3. Contact name
Confidential because of GDPR
1.4. Contact person function
Confidential because of GDPR
1.5. Contact mail address
18 Rue des Pyrénées
75020 PARIS
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
26 September 2023
2.2. Metadata last posted
26 September 2023
2.3. Metadata last update
31 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
Administrative measure or procedure (Y5.1 et Y5.2)
Number of persons (Y1 and Y2)
3.6. Statistical population
See table 3.6. in annex ‘Quality report tables EIL 2024’.
3.7. Reference area
Third countries
3.8. Coverage - Time
See table 3.8. in annex ‘Quality report tables EIL 2024’.
3.9. Base period
Not applicable.
Number of pocedures
Calendar quarter and calendar year.
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
None
6.2. Institutional Mandate - data sharing
The department collects the data from an Excel file in which each prefecture enter the data (Y5.1 and Y5.2), and data are also collected from an Excel file given by the National Border Police Directorate (DNPAF) for Y1, Y2, Y6.1 and Y6.2 indicators.
7.1. Confidentiality - policy
The data we receive is anonymized, and information related to individuals' identities is removed beforehand.
7.2. Confidentiality - data treatment
Rules for handling confidential data are not necessary because the data is anonymized beforehand.
8.1. Release calendar
Statistics are disseminated in national publications twice a year (in January & in June)
The day of publication, a press conference is held at 11:30 am to present statistics.
Statistics are disseminated at 12.00 pm on the website.
Bi-annual
10.1. Dissemination format - News release
Press conference is held at 11:30 am to present statistics.
10.2. Dissemination format - Publications
Les chiffres clés de l'Immigration 2023 / Key figures of Immigration 2023.
Rapport au Parlement 2023 / Report to Parliament 2023.
10.3. Dissemination format - online database
Data are disseminated through excel and pdf files.
10.3.1. Data tables - consultations
Not applicable.
10.4. Dissemination format - microdata access
not available
10.5. Dissemination format - other
Metadata publication to Eurostat only
10.5.1. Metadata - consultations
Metadata publication to Eurostat only
10.6. Documentation on methodology
The metadata are fully completed
10.6.1. Metadata completeness - rate
The metadata are fully completed
10.7. Quality management - documentation
Data preparation and quality control are ensured, as well as the documentation governing the administration of these data
11.1. Quality assurance
Not applicable
11.2. Quality management - assessment
EIL statistics are based on administrative sources. The quality of the data is reliable.
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
Users of French EILstatistics :
DGEF (Direction Générale des Étrangers en France)
National authorities.
journalists and international organisations in the area of migration.
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
The user satisfaction is monitored on a constant way through informal and formal contacts and communications with users and through requests and comments received by users.
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 data collection is considered to be high.
EIL data is mainly collected from national administrative sources: prefectures and relevant immigration agencies such as DNPAF (national border police directorate).
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 data periodicity, the data is provided to Eurostat by France:
Quarter data: not later than 2 months after the end of the reference period.
Annual data: not later than 3 months after the end of the reference period.
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
Not applicable.
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’.
15.3.1. Coherence - sub annual and annual statistics
Not applicable.
15.3.2. Coherence - National Accounts
Not applicable.
15.4. Coherence - internal
Internal consistency (between time, age, sex, country, citizenship) is ensured through various validation checks performed.
The data are based on existing administrative and statistical systems. The specific burdens imposed by the Regulation on the national authorities are therefore linked to the need to prepare particular breakdowns or tables which would not otherwise have been produced, and to the need to apply harmonised statistical definitions and concepts. For some national authorities, this has resulted in one-off costs associated with the necessary adaptations to methods, procedures and systems.
17.1. Data revision - policy
In accordance with Eurostat's revision policy, revisions of EIL statistics are classified into three main categories: routine revisions, unscheduled error revisions and major revisions.
As a general rule, routine revisions are delivered annually, error revisions can be delivered at any time, while major revisions must be sent with prior notification to Eurostat and are subject to Eurostat approval.
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
Monthly for Y2, Y5.1 and Y6.1 indicators.
Annually for Y1 indicator.
18.3. Data collection
Data on EIL are collected on monthly or annual basis.
18.4. Data validation
A set of standardised validation checks are applied by Eurostat before publishing the data. Data providers may transmit the data only in csv (comma separated value) templates (administered by Eurostat to Member States). The new validation service infrastructure is built around two components performing validation operations: one for structural validation (called STRUVAL) and one for content validation (called CONVAL).
The validation rules below are checked to ensure the internal consistency of the data:
variable codes and values of data are from a predefined set of accepted code-lists and format;
investigating inconsistencies in the statistics;
18.5. Data compilation
Not applicable.
18.5.1. Imputation - rate
Not applicable.
18.6. Adjustment
The data for the yearly collection has been adjusted for 2023. This is due to a software breakdown in one of the main airports that resulted in incomplete figures for the breakdown by nationality of refusals of entry at air borders and therefore for the total. An estimate has been made to complete the data and obtain a figure that best reflects reality.
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.
31 March 2025
See table 3.4. in annex ‘Quality report tables EIL 2024’.
Administrative measure or procedure (Y5.1 et Y5.2)
Number of persons (Y1 and Y2)
See table 3.6. in annex ‘Quality report tables EIL 2024’.
Third countries
Calendar quarter and calendar year.
The overall assessment of the accuracy of data collection is considered to be high.
EIL data is mainly collected from national administrative sources: prefectures and relevant immigration agencies such as DNPAF (national border police directorate).
Number of pocedures
Not applicable.
See table 18.1. in annex ‘Quality report tables EIL 2024’.
Bi-annual
The data periodicity, the data is provided to Eurostat by France:
Quarter data: not later than 2 months after the end of the reference period.
Annual data: not later than 3 months after the end of the reference period.
Not applicable.
See table 15.2. in annex ‘Quality report tables EIL 2024’.
