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.
1) Immigration and naturalisation Service (IND); BV/FBI/BIC
2) Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS); team Justice and Security, sector SQS
1.3. Contact name
Confidential because of GDPR
1.4. Contact person function
Confidential because of GDPR
1.5. Contact mail address
1) IND, Rijnstraat 8, 2515 XP The Hague, (P.O. Box 16275, 2500 BG The Hague), The Netherlands
2) CBS, Henri Faasdreef 312, 2492 JP The Hague, (P.O. Box 24500, 2490 HA The Hague), The Netherlands
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
27 March 2025
2.2. Metadata last posted
27 March 2025
2.3. Metadata last update
15 September 2025
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Asylum applications withdrawn by citizenship, age, sex and type of withdrawal (also for unaccompanied minors);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
Same as Eurostat.
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
The Netherlands
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 2008 to Q4 2013 and from Q1 to Q4 2015.
Data on withdrawn final decisions are not available from 2008 to 2013.
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
Until 2021 the Asylum statistics are based on the Regulation (EC) 862/2007. Data delivery for reference year 2021 onwards is based on Regulation (EC) 862/2007 as amended by Regulation (EU) 2020/851.
The Immigration and Naturalization Service (a Service of the Ministry of Justice and Security) is responsible in the Netherlands for the registration of the Asylum data.
The "Wet op het Centraal bureau voor de statistiek, van 2 maart 2022" (the Dutch Law on Statistics Netherlands, 2 March 2022) states in article 4 that CBS is responsible for the production of the EU statistics.
This comprises all (mandatory and voluntary) statistics mentioned in the several EU Regulations and Directives.
There exists a formal agreement between IND and CBS regarding the provision of data from IND to CBS for the purpose of EU and other statistics, which also features the Asylum data.
Data sharing conforms with the agreement between IND and CBS regarding the provision of data from IND to CBS for the purpose of (EU and other) statistics, conform with the agreement between COA and CBS, and conform the 'CBS law' and other relevant legal acts and agreements.
IND has set up a registration/datawarehouse, in which amongst other data, the Asylum data are registered. IND compiles the Asylum statistics, and sends the (aggregated) tables to CBS, via a secured process. COA has a registration system, from which it sends the aggregated data for table A21 to CBS, via a secured process.
CBS has set up a secure and automated data processing system to receive the data from the data supplier, to check and process the data, and send the statistics via Edamis to Eurostat. This system includes the "database EU Asylum and managed Migration" and several secure and automated procedures for receiving, processing and sending the data. All procedures are in accordance with the CBS standards in the field of data collection and processing.
7.1. Confidentiality - policy
The General Data Protection Regulation applies in The Netherlands, and therefore to CBS and IND.
Moreover, the "Wet op het Centraal bureau voor de statistiek, van 2 maart 2022" (the Dutch Law on Statistics Netherlands, 2 March 2022) states in article 37 that CBS will not disclose any data that might identify a person, household or economic entity, either directly or indirectly. wetten.nl - Regeling - Wet op het Centraal bureau voor de statistiek - BWBR0015926
7.2. Confidentiality - data treatment
CBS defines a confidential cell as a cell where the number is lower than 7. Usually this cell is suppressed, however, depending on the statistic, also controlled rounding can be used, for example to the nearest fivefold or tenfold. CBS checks in general for residual disclosure, with methods depending on the statistic. In the publications in Statline based on the Asylum data, the data is treated in the same manner, data are rounded to the nearest fivefold to prevent disclosure. As Eurostat itself has confidentiality rules for publications, and because of the secure process of sending data via Edamis to Eurostat, there is no rounding in the supplied tables.
8.1. Release calendar
Part of the asylum data is published by CBS in the open data bank StatLine.
In the Statline tables there is an Explanation, stating when the next data release will be.
These tables and Explanation are publicly accessible.
Data concerning the asylum applications and family reunification is disseminated monthly, quarterly and yearly, in a Dutch and an English version:
The moment of publication of the new data can be found under "tabelinformatie - tabeltoelichting" (Explanation).
8.3. Release policy - user access
The general release policy of CBS is to publish all regular statistics via Statline and Open Data: StatLine. This is accessible to the general public via the website of CBS.
In addition, statistics may be presented by dashboards, or other visuals. Moreover, any newly published statistic may be accompanied by a written 'news item' which gives some highlights of the data or a longer analysis. Every part of a publication is available on Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek | CBS.
By these methods of publication, CBS provides for the dissemination of statistical data to all users at the same time.
The Publicatieplanning | CBS on the CBS-website gives an overview of the dates and moments that statistics are made publicly available through a 'news item'. Other statistics (without news item) are made publicly available from 00:00 h (at night) in our databank StatLine.
CBS publishes its release policy on its website: Publicatiebeleid | CBS. This policy provides for the dissemination of statistical data to all users at the same time.
CBS may send new publications under embargo, in advance of the release of the data, to government organisations and agencies, and to the press. For the press, the maximum embargo period is 24 hours before publication. For the governmental organisations, the maximum embargo period is from 12:00 h in the afternoon on the working day before publication.
Data concerning the asylum applications and family reunification is disseminated monthly, quarterly and yearly, in a Dutch and an English version:
For the asylum data, there is no access to the microdata for researchers at CBS. This is due to the fact that the asylum data supplier, IND (Dutch Immigration Service) sends aggregated data to CBS.
10.5. Dissemination format - other
Apart from sending the tables to Eurostat and dissemination of the statistics in Statline, a news item may be published, at the same time as the dissemination of the new reference period in Statline.
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
CBS has implemented the European Statistics Code of Practice (CoP), the ESS Quality Assurance Framework (QAF), ISO-9001, and works accordingly the CBS-law, and is regularly audited by external auditors.
11.2. Quality management - assessment
Not applicable.
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
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 user needs.
Users of Asylum statistics:
The statistics collected under the Regulation (EU) 851/2020 are widely used in official publications and by a wide range of users at national, European and International level. 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.
At National level the Ministry of Justice and Security and CBS are the main user of the Asylum statistics.
At European level, the main users of Asylum statistics are Eurostat and DG Migration and Home Affairs. These statistics are used in several publications of the Commission, as well as in the preparation of regular reports, policy proposals and analysis. The statistics also provide an input to the European Migration Network (EMN) studies and reports that address specific issues of current policy importance.
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
No user satisfaction surveys are conducted.
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
There are no sampling errors. There are no coverage errors, no measurement errors and no nonresponse errors. Processing errors sometimes occur in extracting a table from the IND METIS/INDIGO system, mostly in the format of the table, which errors are corrected before sending the final version of the table to Edamis/Eurostat.
13.2. Sampling error
Not applicable.
13.2.1. Sampling error - indicators
Not applicable.
13.3. Non-sampling error
There are no coverage errors, no measurement errors and no nonresponse errors. Processing errors sometimes occur in extracting data from the IND registration system, mostly in the format of the table, which errors are corrected before sending the final version of the table to Edamis/Eurostat.
13.3.1. Coverage error
The coverage error, which is the discrepancy from the Eurostat target population, is 0 %.
13.3.1.1. Over-coverage - rate
Not applicable.
13.3.1.2. Common units - proportion
Not applicable.
13.3.2. Measurement error
There are no measurement errors: all individual data records concerning Asylum data (for example the asylum applications, decisions etcetera) are registered within 1 to 2 days in INDIGO (the registration system of IND, who is responsible for the Asylum procedures). From METIS, the data warehouse based on INDIGO, all mandatory Asylum tables are extracted, checked and validated, and send to CBS. There is no bias in the outcome, and the population, definitions and breakdowns are according to the Eurostat technical guidelines.
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
Processing errors sometimes occur in extracting a table from the IND METIS/INDIGO system, mostly in the format of the table, which errors are corrected before sending the final version of the table to Edamis/Eurostat.
13.3.5. Model assumption error
Not applicable.
14.1. Timeliness
Data supply to Eurostat is in accordance with the Regulation and the Technical Guidelines, and the timeframe and deadlines of sending data to Eurostat.
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
The statistics are comparable between all regions of the Netherlands, there is only one national system at IND of accumulating and processing the data.
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
Not applicable.
15.3.1. Coherence - sub annual and annual statistics
The sub annual and annual statistics are coherent.
15.3.2. Coherence - National Accounts
Not applicable.
15.4. Coherence - internal
The asylum statistics are consistent with the underlying (micro)dataset in the IND registration system INDIGO/METIS, and in the case of table A21 the statistic is consistent with the underlying (micro)dataset in the COA registration system.
Not available.
17.1. Data revision - policy
The data revision policy is, that IND sends to CBS the data concerning the monthly and quarterly tables during the reference year, these data are considered preliminary at that moment. CBS sends these (preliminary) data as soon as possible to Eurostat. Directly after the reference year, in January or February, IND has processed all necessary corrections and makes the final data concerning these tables. Up to reference year 2023 these final tables were sent to CBS, whereupon CBS delivers them to Eurostat. However, it was found that the discrepancies between preliminary and final tables are usually very small.
Therefore, from reference year 2024 onwards, IND checks these discrepancies first, when they are indeed very small, no final tables are made, but the preliminary tables already send to Eurostat become (default) the final version. In case of larger discrepancies (about 1 % or larger), IND makes the final tables and sends them to CBS, who delivers them to Eurostat. In case of reference year 2024, discrepancies were smaller than 0.5 %.
17.2. Data revision - practice
Revision of withdrawals at first instance decisions in May 2024: provisional data for 2023 Q1-Q4 replaced by final data.
Revision of persons with temporary protection status at the end of the month in March 2024: removal of the inactive statuses that were incorrectly taken into account in the data, of the complete time series since February 2022.
See table 17.2. in annex ‘Quality report tables Asylum’.
17.2.1. Data revision - average size
Not applicable.
18.1. Source data
Administrative data of Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) and Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA).
See table 18.1. in annex ‘Quality report tables Asylum’.
18.2. Frequency of data collection
The source data are collected and processed continuously by IND. In order to submit the data to Eurostat, compilations of the data are made on a monthly, quarterly and annual base by IND, and send to CBS.
For table A21, all source data are collected and processed continuously by COA. In order to submit the data to Eurostat, compilations of the data are made on an annual base by COA and send to CBS.
18.3. Data collection
For all tables except A21: The data is based on an administrative data process: individual data records concerning an application, a grant or a decision are registered within 1 to 2 days in INDIGO (the IND registration system responsible for the asylum procedure). From METIS, the data warehouse based on INDIGO, the asylum tables are extracted based on the Eurostat technical guidelines. For the datasets for year 2012 and onwards, the only source is METIS, the IND data warehouse, based on INDIGO, the IND registration system. The datasets for the years 2008 to 2011 are based on INDIS, the former registration system of the Netherlands. (There is no break in the time series from 2011 to 2012).
For table A21: the sole source is the registration system of COA.
18.4. Data validation
During the process of monitoring end ensuring the quality of the resulting tables, the next checks are performed:
an automatic check on integrity of the data within the data warehouse;
monthly check that the population coverage is accurate according to the definitions of the Technical guidelines;
weekly comparing the data with data of previous periods;
weekly investigating inconsistencies and confronting the data against other relevant data by checking every dataset against all other available information;
weekly verification of the statistics against expectations and domain intelligence;
checking retrospectively a sample of the data in the register in order to confirm that they are accurate.
18.5. Data compilation
METIS (the IND data warehouse), which is based on INDIGO (the registration system at IND of the Asylum data records), is the sole source for most mandatory Asylum tables. INDIGO is an integral microdata registration of all requests, transfers and decisions, therefore there is no imputation, no adjustment to non-response and no weighting of records. Based on METIS/INDIGO, for each table the required records are extracted, aggregated and counted, and tabulated into the table, according to the guidelines.
For table A21, there is an integral registration of the target population at COA. Based on this registration once a year the mandatory statistic for A21 is compiled according to the guidelines, without imputations, weighting of records or adjustments.
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’.
The Netherlands
Calendar month, calendar quarter and calendar year.
There are no sampling errors. There are no coverage errors, no measurement errors and no nonresponse errors. Processing errors sometimes occur in extracting a table from the IND METIS/INDIGO system, mostly in the format of the table, which errors are corrected before sending the final version of the table to Edamis/Eurostat.
Number of persons.
METIS (the IND data warehouse), which is based on INDIGO (the registration system at IND of the Asylum data records), is the sole source for most mandatory Asylum tables. INDIGO is an integral microdata registration of all requests, transfers and decisions, therefore there is no imputation, no adjustment to non-response and no weighting of records. Based on METIS/INDIGO, for each table the required records are extracted, aggregated and counted, and tabulated into the table, according to the guidelines.
For table A21, there is an integral registration of the target population at COA. Based on this registration once a year the mandatory statistic for A21 is compiled according to the guidelines, without imputations, weighting of records or adjustments.
Administrative data of Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) and Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA).
See table 18.1. in annex ‘Quality report tables Asylum’.
Data concerning the asylum applications and family reunification is disseminated monthly, quarterly and yearly, in a Dutch and an English version:
Data supply to Eurostat is in accordance with the Regulation and the Technical Guidelines, and the timeframe and deadlines of sending data to Eurostat.
The statistics are comparable between all regions of the Netherlands, there is only one national system at IND of accumulating and processing the data.
Data are comparable over time.
See table 15.2. in annex ‘Quality report tables Asylum’.
