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.
Immigration Office (Office des étrangers/ Dienst Vreemdelingenzaken)
1.2. Contact organisation unit
Statistics Unit
1.3. Contact name
Restricted from publication
1.4. Contact person function
Restricted from publication
1.5. Contact mail address
Boulevard Pacheco 44, B-1000 Bruxelles, Belgium
1.6. Contact email address
Restricted from publication
1.7. Contact phone number
Restricted from publication
1.8. Contact fax number
Restricted from publication
2.1. Metadata last certified
22 March 2024
2.2. Metadata last posted
22 March 2024
2.3. Metadata last update
3 June 2024
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Asylum applications withdrawn by citizenship, age, sex and type of withdrawal (also for unaccompanied minors);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
See table 3.2. in annex ‘Quality report tables Asylum 2023’.
3.3. Coverage - sector
Migration and asylum – Asylum statistics.
3.4. Statistical concepts and definitions
See table 3.4. in annex ‘Quality report tables Asylum 2023’.
3.5. Statistical unit
Persons
3.6. Statistical population
See table 3.6. in annex ‘Quality report tables Asylum 2023’.
3.7. Reference area
All applications lodge in Belgium or at Belgium International border crossing points.
3.8. Coverage - Time
See table 3.8. in annex ‘Quality report tables Asylum 2023’.
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 FPS (Federal Public Service) Home Affairs and its Statistics Unit (located in the DG Immigration Office) was officially designated as Other national statistical authorities (see 1/ “ List of National statistical institutes (NSI) and other national authorities” in the list of links to public documents and 2/ “Letter sent by Statbel to Eurostat to designate the FPS Home Affairs as ONA” in the list of internal documents available on request) in charge of AMM (Asylum and Managed Migration) data collection in line with the mission of FPS Home Affairs (the main actor in charge of the implementation of the legislation related to migration at national level, i.e. “Law of 15th December 1980 on access to the territory, residence, establishment and removal of aliens”).
The statistics collected under Regulation 862/2007 are used by a wide range of users at national, European and International level to cover various users need.
The Asylum statistics produced are regularly used by national administrations: academic researchers and civil society groups working on a wide range of topics including the integration of immigrants, the development and monitoring of national asylum and immigration procedures, and the projection of the future population and labour force.
The following national institutions and administration entities can be mentioned in this context: Immigration Office, Cabinet Ministers, Commissioner General for Refugees and Stateless Persons, Federal agency for reception of asylum seekers (FEDASIL), Council for Alien Law Litigation, Federal Migration Centre, academic researchers...
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
Not available.
12.3. Completeness
See table 12.3. in annex ‘Quality report tables Asylum 2023’.
12.3.1. Data completeness - rate
Not applicable.
13.1. Accuracy - overall
The accuracy of the national asylum statistics is generally considered to be high.
The statistics about asylum applicants considered to be unaccompanied minors, due to delays to receive age assessment’s results, the accuracy is not perfect.
The statistics on first-instance decisions on applications may be influenced by the number of newborns in decisions on refugee status.
13.2. Sampling error
Not applicable.
13.2.1. Sampling error - indicators
Not applicable.
13.3. Non-sampling error
Not available.
13.3.1. Coverage error
There are no discrepancies between the Eurostat and national target population.
The average delay in registering administrative events in the register is zero days from the day these events occurred.
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
Not available.
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 Asylum 2023’.
14.2.1. Punctuality - delivery and publication
Not applicable.
15.1. Comparability - geographical
Not available.
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 Asylum 2023’.
15.2.1. Length of comparable time series
Not applicable.
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
Not available.
15.3.1. Coherence - sub annual and annual statistics
Not available.
15.3.2. Coherence - National Accounts
Not applicable.
15.4. Coherence - internal
Not available.
Not available.
Not available.
17.1. Data revision - policy
Not available.
17.2. Data revision - practice
See table 17.2. in annex ‘Quality report tables Asylum 2023’.
17.2.1. Data revision - average size
Not applicable.
18.1. Source data
See table 18.1. in annex ‘Quality report tables Asylum 2023’.
18.2. Frequency of data collection
Asylum application statistics is consolidated each month (5 days after the end of the month).
Asylum decision statistics is consolidated each month (about 5-10 days after the end of the month).
18.3. Data collection
Not applicable.
18.4. Data validation
Data validations are performed monthly, such as checking population coverage, comparing with previous periods, checking for outliers, investigating inconsistencies in statistics (checking consistency of "Total" values over each variable), validating statistics against expectations and domain intelligence, confronting data with other relevant data, back check of data in the register.
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 June 2024
See table 3.4. in annex ‘Quality report tables Asylum 2023’.
Persons
See table 3.6. in annex ‘Quality report tables Asylum 2023’.
All applications lodge in Belgium or at Belgium International border crossing points.
Calendar month, calendar quarter and calendar year.
The accuracy of the national asylum statistics is generally considered to be high.
The statistics about asylum applicants considered to be unaccompanied minors, due to delays to receive age assessment’s results, the accuracy is not perfect.
The statistics on first-instance decisions on applications may be influenced by the number of newborns in decisions on refugee status.
Number of persons.
Not available.
See table 18.1. in annex ‘Quality report tables Asylum 2023’.
Not available.
Not available.
Not available.
See table 15.2. in annex ‘Quality report tables Asylum 2023’.
