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.
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Asylum applications withdrawn by citizenship, age, sex and type of withdrawal (also for unaccompanied minors);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
Number of persons.
3.6. Statistical population
Foreigners and stateless persons.
See table 3.6. in annex ‘Quality report tables Asylum’.
3.7. Reference area
Poland.
3.8. Coverage - Time
Time coverage according to Regulation (EC) No 862/2007, from January 2008, eventually January 2021 and voluntary from March 2022.
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
Act on foreigners of 12 december 2013.
6.2. Institutional Mandate - data sharing
Agreement on data exchange between the Office for Foreigners and the Main Office for Statistics.
7.1. Confidentiality - policy
Law on personal data protection.
7.2. Confidentiality - data treatment
Statistical confidentiality is ensured and unauthorised disclosure prevented by trainings for personnel and risk management procedures.
8.1. Release calendar
The release calendar is in line with Eurostat reporting (monthly, quarterly and annual reports).
The Office for Foreigners provides more specific data on request of stakeholders (authorities, public institutions, NGOs, researchers).
10.5. Dissemination format - other
Not applicable.
10.5.1. Metadata - consultations
Not applicable.
10.6. Documentation on methodology
Not applicable.
10.6.1. Metadata completeness - rate
Not applicable.
10.7. Quality management - documentation
Not applicable.
11.1. Quality assurance
The Office for Foreigners quality management system is based on ISO 9000. Quality assurance procedures include training courses, benchmarking, assessments, and use of best practices.
11.2. Quality management - assessment
Not applicable.
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
The Office for Foreigners provides statistical data on asylum and migration to wide range of stakeholders (authorities, public institutions, NGOs, researchers). The quality meets user requirements.
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
There are no surveys on user satisfaction available. However, taking into account user opinions and feedback, the statistical data provided by the Office for Foreigners meets user expectations.
12.3. Completeness
Missing status of applicants for minors (unaccompanied or accompanied minors) for all tables, except total asylum applicants.
See table 12.3. in annex ‘Quality report tables Asylum’.
12.3.1. Data completeness - rate
Not applicable.
13.1. Accuracy - overall
From the reference period July 2026 onwards, a new data transmission workflow has been introduced. Early Warning and Preparedness System (EPS) indicators are submitted to the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA), from which Eurostat data are derived. Regarding EPS Indicator W15/M1 (Asylum applications registered) and Indicator M2 (Asylum applications lodged), it is critical to note that under Polish national procedures, the registration and lodging of an application take place simultaneously during a single, consolidated interview conducted at the Border Guard post.
Due to this procedural overlap and current database synchronization limits, our automated extraction tools cannot fully cross-tabulate all mandatory intersectional categories at the M1 stage. However, because both steps occur at the same time, the missing demographic breakdowns (age cohorts and sex balance) from Indicator M1 have been successfully integrated and populated within the Indicator M2 dataset.
For the time being, the demographic details are fully visible in M2, while M1 contains the "unknown" placeholders which triggered the validation conflict with the status of minors codes. As a result, data for Eurostat tables are flagged as provisional as they contain unknown age and status of minors, until revisions are provided in the near future.
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
Not applicable.
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
Data is provided to Eurostat within the requested deadlines.
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
Statistics are comparable between geographical areas in Poland.
15.1.1. Asymmetry for mirror flow statistics - coefficient
Not applicable.
15.2. Comparability - over time
Data are comparable over time.
Data on unaccompanied minors under temporary protection differ in definition since 2022. The value is zero, as the national system requires minors to have a legal representative to apply for temporary protection.
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
Not applicable.
15.3.2. Coherence - National Accounts
Not applicable.
15.4. Coherence - internal
Statistics are consistent within a given data set.
Not applicable.
17.1. Data revision - policy
Not applicable.
17.2. Data revision - practice
Data revisions are not applicable.
See table 17.2. in annex ‘Quality report tables Asylum’.
17.2.1. Data revision - average size
Not applicable.
18.1. Source data
Asylum statistics are based on administrative data.
See table 18.1. in annex ‘Quality report tables Asylum’.
18.2. Frequency of data collection
Continuous.
18.3. Data collection
The Office for Foreigners collects administrative data via IT system called POBYT.
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).
14 October 2026
Same definitions as Eurostat.
See table 3.4. in annex ‘Quality report tables Asylum’.
Number of persons.
Foreigners and stateless persons.
See table 3.6. in annex ‘Quality report tables Asylum’.
Poland.
Calendar month, calendar quarter and calendar year.
From the reference period July 2026 onwards, a new data transmission workflow has been introduced. Early Warning and Preparedness System (EPS) indicators are submitted to the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA), from which Eurostat data are derived. Regarding EPS Indicator W15/M1 (Asylum applications registered) and Indicator M2 (Asylum applications lodged), it is critical to note that under Polish national procedures, the registration and lodging of an application take place simultaneously during a single, consolidated interview conducted at the Border Guard post.
Due to this procedural overlap and current database synchronization limits, our automated extraction tools cannot fully cross-tabulate all mandatory intersectional categories at the M1 stage. However, because both steps occur at the same time, the missing demographic breakdowns (age cohorts and sex balance) from Indicator M1 have been successfully integrated and populated within the Indicator M2 dataset.
For the time being, the demographic details are fully visible in M2, while M1 contains the "unknown" placeholders which triggered the validation conflict with the status of minors codes. As a result, data for Eurostat tables are flagged as provisional as they contain unknown age and status of minors, until revisions are provided in the near future.
Number of persons.
Not applicable.
Asylum statistics are based on administrative data.
See table 18.1. in annex ‘Quality report tables Asylum’.
Monthly, quarterly, yearly.
Data is provided to Eurostat within the requested deadlines.
Statistics are comparable between geographical areas in Poland.
Data are comparable over time.
Data on unaccompanied minors under temporary protection differ in definition since 2022. The value is zero, as the national system requires minors to have a legal representative to apply for temporary protection.
See table 15.2. in annex ‘Quality report tables Asylum'.
