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 Dublin statistics contains statistical information based on the Article 4.4 of Regulation (EC) No 862/2007 on Community statistics on migration and international protection.
Incoming ‘Dublin’ requests by submitting country (PARTNER), type of request, legal provision, sex and type of applicant (RI)
Outgoing ‘Dublin’ requests by receiving country (PARTNER), type of request, legal provision, sex and type of applicant (RO)
Incoming ‘Dublin’ requests based on EURODAC by submitting country (PARTNER), type of request, legal provision, sex and type of applicant (REDACI)
Outgoing ‘Dublin’ requests based on EURODAC by receiving country (PARTNER), type of request, legal provision, sex and type of applicant (REDACO)
Pending ‘Dublin’ incoming requests by submitting country (PARTNER), type of request, sex and type of applicant (RPENI)
Pending ‘Dublin’ outgoing requests by receiving country (PARTNER), type of request, sex and type of applicant (RPENO)
Incoming ‘Dublin’ requests for information by submitting country (PARTNER), legal provision, sex and type of applicant (RINFI)
Outgoing ‘Dublin’ requests for information by receiving country (PARTNER), legal provision, sex and type of applicant (RINFO)
Incoming responses to ‘Dublin’ requests for information by submitting country (PARTNER), legal provision, duration of response, sex and type of applicant (RESI)
Outgoing responses to ‘Dublin’ requests for information by receiving country (PARTNER), legal provision, duration of response, sex and type of applicant (RESO)
Unilateral ‘Dublin’ decisions by partner country, type of decision, sex and type of applicant (DUNI)
Decisions on incoming ‘Dublin’ requests by submitting country (PARTNER), type of decision, type of request, legal provision, sex and type of applicant (DI)
Decisions on outgoing ‘Dublin’ requests by receiving country (PARTNER), type of decision, type of request, legal provision, sex and type of applicant (DO)
Decisions on incoming ‘Dublin’ requests based on EURODAC by submitting country (PARTNER), type of decision, type of request, legal provision, sex and type of applicant (DEDACI)
Decisions on outgoing ‘Dublin’ requests based on EURODAC by receiving country (PARTNER), type of decision, type of request, legal provision, sex and type of applicant (DEDACO)
Incoming ‘Dublin’ transfers by submitting country (PARTNER), legal provision, duration of transfer, sex and type of applicant (TI)
Outgoing ‘Dublin’ transfers by receiving country (PARTNER), legal provision, duration of transfer, sex and type of applicant (TO)
Pending incoming ‘Dublin’ transfers by submitting country (PARTNER), sex and type of applicant (TPENI)
Pending outgoing ‘Dublin’ transfers by receiving country (PARTNER), sex and type of applicant (TPENO)
3.2. Classification system
See table 3.2. in annex ‘Quality report tables Dublin 2024’.
3.3. Coverage - sector
Migration and asylum – Dublin statistics.
3.4. Statistical concepts and definitions
See table 3.4. in annex ‘Quality report tables Dublin 2024’.
3.5. Statistical unit
The text of Art.4 of the Regulation (EC) 862/2007 on Migration and international protection refers in general to statistics based on the number of persons and not on the number of applications. However, the article describing the 'Dublin' statistics (Art.4.4) refers to statistics based on the number of requests. Commission services recommend that Art.4.4 (more precisely 4.4.a, 4.4.c and 4.4.d) is interpreted as referring to the number of persons concerned by each request, decision and transfer.
3.6. Statistical population
See table 3.6. in annex ‘Quality report tables Dublin 2024’.
3.7. Reference area
The territory of the Republic of Bulgaria.
3.8. Coverage - Time
See table 3.8. in annex ‘Quality report tables Dublin 2024’.
3.9. Base period
Not applicable.
Number of persons.
Calendar year.
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
This metadata information is provided by the authorities of Bulgaria to ensure compliance with the requirements of Article 4.4. (Dublin statistics) of Regulation (EC) 862/2007 on Community Statistics on Migration and International Protection.
As required by Article 9 of the Regulation 862/2007, Member States must report to Eurostat on the data sources used, the reasons for the selection of these sources and the effects of the selected data on the quality of the statistics. Member States shall provide Eurostat with all the information necessary to evaluate the quality, comparability and completeness of the statistical information.
6.2. Institutional Mandate - data sharing
The source of Dublin statistical data is The State Agency for Refugees with the Council of Ministers.
The State Agency for Refugees with the Council of Ministers has been providing the relevant and applicable for Bulgaria asylum statistical data to Eurostat in compliance with the requirements of Article 4.4 of Regulation (EC) No 862/2007 since 2008.
Since 2021 this data is transmitted through National Statistical Institute based on national Agreement for cooperation and strategic partnership to transfer of data №08-151 signed on 22th December 2020.
7.1. Confidentiality - policy
All according to Law on Statistics and Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 on European statistics (recital 24 and Article 20(4)) of 11 March 2009 (OJ L 87, p. 164),which 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.
7.2. Confidentiality - data treatment
Not available.
8.1. Release calendar
Dublin statistics are not disseminated in any form from the Bulgarian authorities
Eurostat release calendar for Dublin procedure statisctics 2024 is set for July 4th 2025.
Data processing according to Technical Guidelines for The data collection under Article 4.4 of the Regulation (EC) 862/2007 about Dublin Statistics by Eurostat from January 2022 (See annexes).
10.6.1. Metadata completeness - rate
Not applicable.
10.7. Quality management - documentation
Data processing according to Technical Guidelines for The data collection under Article 4.4 of the Regulation (EC) 862/2007 about Dublin Statistics by Eurostat from January 2022.
See annexes.
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 Regulation (EC) 862/2007 are used by a wide range of users at national, European and International level to cover various usersʼ needs.
Users of Dublin and Asylum statistics are different interested parties such as:
national authorities (Ministries of Interior, Ministries of Justice, Migration agencies) who use Dublin and Asylum data to monitor or project the development of their national asylum procedures;
NGOs and international organisations;
researchers and students conducting analysis and research in the field of asylum, etc.
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
Not conducted.
12.3. Completeness
See table 12.3. in annex ‘Quality report tables Dublin 2024’.
12.3.1. Data completeness - rate
Not applicable.
13.1. Accuracy - overall
The accuracy of the data is checked at a national level. There are no discrepancies between the monthly and quarterly data and the aggregated annual data.
13.2. Sampling error
Not applicable.
13.2.1. Sampling error - indicators
Not applicable.
13.3. Non-sampling error
National data is checked and validated by visual confirmation and manual cross-checking of the data by the statistical experts.
13.3.1. Coverage error
No discrepancies from Eurostat target population in all datasets.
13.3.1.1. Over-coverage - rate
Not applicable.
13.3.1.2. Common units - proportion
Not applicable.
13.3.2. Measurement error
National data is checked and validated by visual confirmation and manual cross-checking of the data by the statistical experts.
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 available.
13.3.5. Model assumption error
Not applicable.
14.1. Timeliness
Number of days (on average) after the end of the reference period at the earliest at which the country is able to report is 1 month.
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 Dublin 2024’.
14.2.1. Punctuality - delivery and publication
Not applicable.
15.1. Comparability - geographical
In reference to Article 29.2 'Incoming pending transfers' and ‘Outgoing pending transfers' pending transfers are considered only the transfers which the foreseen time limits are not yet expired.
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 Dublin 2024’.
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
Fully coherent.
15.3.2. Coherence - National Accounts
Not applicable.
15.4. Coherence - internal
Fully coherent.
Not available.
17.1. Data revision - policy
There is no specific national revision policy for Dublin statistics.
17.2. Data revision - practice
See table 17.2. in annex ‘Quality report tables Dublin 2024’.
17.2.1. Data revision - average size
Not applicable.
18.1. Source data
See table 18.1. in annex ‘Quality report tables Dublin 2024’.
18.2. Frequency of data collection
Annual.
18.3. Data collection
Data is collected and prepared by the State Agency of Refugees Bulgaria and transmitted to Eurostat by NSI Bulgaria.
Data is collected using an excel table.
18.4. Data validation
Before being loaded in the database, internal consistency of the file is ensured.
Validation activity
Performed
Periodicity
Check that the population coverage is accurate, as required according to the definitions of the Technical guidelines (Annex)
Yes
Annually
Compare the data with data of previous periods
Yes
Annually
Check for outliers
Yes
Annually
Investigate inconsistencies in the statistics (checking the consistency of "Total" values over each variable)
Yes
Annually
Verify the statistics against expectations and domain intelligence
Yes
Annually
Confront the data against other relevant data (e.g. Asylum statistics, of the mirror data from the partner countries)
Yes
Annually
Check retrospectively (a sample of) the data in the register/database in order to confirm they are accurate
Yes
Annually
18.5. Data compilation
Data is processed by the The State Agency of Refugees Bulgaria, according to the rules for validation and control of the technical guidelines by Eurostat.
Data collection on Dublin statistics contains statistical information based on the Article 4.4 of Regulation (EC) No 862/2007 on Community statistics on migration and international protection.
Incoming ‘Dublin’ requests by submitting country (PARTNER), type of request, legal provision, sex and type of applicant (RI)
Outgoing ‘Dublin’ requests by receiving country (PARTNER), type of request, legal provision, sex and type of applicant (RO)
Incoming ‘Dublin’ requests based on EURODAC by submitting country (PARTNER), type of request, legal provision, sex and type of applicant (REDACI)
Outgoing ‘Dublin’ requests based on EURODAC by receiving country (PARTNER), type of request, legal provision, sex and type of applicant (REDACO)
Pending ‘Dublin’ incoming requests by submitting country (PARTNER), type of request, sex and type of applicant (RPENI)
Pending ‘Dublin’ outgoing requests by receiving country (PARTNER), type of request, sex and type of applicant (RPENO)
Incoming ‘Dublin’ requests for information by submitting country (PARTNER), legal provision, sex and type of applicant (RINFI)
Outgoing ‘Dublin’ requests for information by receiving country (PARTNER), legal provision, sex and type of applicant (RINFO)
Incoming responses to ‘Dublin’ requests for information by submitting country (PARTNER), legal provision, duration of response, sex and type of applicant (RESI)
Outgoing responses to ‘Dublin’ requests for information by receiving country (PARTNER), legal provision, duration of response, sex and type of applicant (RESO)
Unilateral ‘Dublin’ decisions by partner country, type of decision, sex and type of applicant (DUNI)
Decisions on incoming ‘Dublin’ requests by submitting country (PARTNER), type of decision, type of request, legal provision, sex and type of applicant (DI)
Decisions on outgoing ‘Dublin’ requests by receiving country (PARTNER), type of decision, type of request, legal provision, sex and type of applicant (DO)
Decisions on incoming ‘Dublin’ requests based on EURODAC by submitting country (PARTNER), type of decision, type of request, legal provision, sex and type of applicant (DEDACI)
Decisions on outgoing ‘Dublin’ requests based on EURODAC by receiving country (PARTNER), type of decision, type of request, legal provision, sex and type of applicant (DEDACO)
Incoming ‘Dublin’ transfers by submitting country (PARTNER), legal provision, duration of transfer, sex and type of applicant (TI)
Outgoing ‘Dublin’ transfers by receiving country (PARTNER), legal provision, duration of transfer, sex and type of applicant (TO)
Pending incoming ‘Dublin’ transfers by submitting country (PARTNER), sex and type of applicant (TPENI)
Pending outgoing ‘Dublin’ transfers by receiving country (PARTNER), sex and type of applicant (TPENO)
11 March 2025
See table 3.4. in annex ‘Quality report tables Dublin 2024’.
The text of Art.4 of the Regulation (EC) 862/2007 on Migration and international protection refers in general to statistics based on the number of persons and not on the number of applications. However, the article describing the 'Dublin' statistics (Art.4.4) refers to statistics based on the number of requests. Commission services recommend that Art.4.4 (more precisely 4.4.a, 4.4.c and 4.4.d) is interpreted as referring to the number of persons concerned by each request, decision and transfer.
See table 3.6. in annex ‘Quality report tables Dublin 2024’.
The territory of the Republic of Bulgaria.
Calendar year.
The accuracy of the data is checked at a national level. There are no discrepancies between the monthly and quarterly data and the aggregated annual data.
Number of persons.
Data is processed by the The State Agency of Refugees Bulgaria, according to the rules for validation and control of the technical guidelines by Eurostat.
See table 18.1. in annex ‘Quality report tables Dublin 2024’.
Annual.
Number of days (on average) after the end of the reference period at the earliest at which the country is able to report is 1 month.
In reference to Article 29.2 'Incoming pending transfers' and ‘Outgoing pending transfers' pending transfers are considered only the transfers which the foreseen time limits are not yet expired.
See table 15.2. in annex ‘Quality report tables Dublin 2024’.
