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.
This metadata information is provided by the Danish Immigration Service to ensure compliance with the requirements of Article 4.4 (Dublin statistics) of Regulation (EC) 862/2007 on Migration and International Protection as amended by the Regulation (EU) 2020/851.
As required by Article 9 of the Regulation (EC) 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.
The reference document used for assessing the compliance of the concepts and definitions in this metadata file is the document Dublin statistics - Eurostat Technical guidelines to Dublin statistics (see Annex).
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 article 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
Denmark.
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
The compilation of Dublin statistics is based on Article 4.4 of Regulation (EC) 862/2007 and its amendment Regulation (EU) 851/2020.
The law on Statistics Denmark, "Bekendtgørelse af lov om Danmarks Statistik", LBK nr 610 af 30 May 2018, is the main national legal act regarding official national and international statistics.
All statistics on asylum are collected and processed by the statistical unit at the Danish Immigration Service. The unit provides statistics on behalf of all migration authorities in Denmark including the Ministry of Immigration and Integration.
6.2. Institutional Mandate - data sharing
Not applicable.
7.1. Confidentiality - policy
Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 on European statistics (recital 24 and Article 20(4)), 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. The general information security and data confidentiality of Statistics Denmark can be found on the website (General information security and data confidentiality).
7.2. Confidentiality - data treatment
The Danish Immigration Service treats personal information in line with the General Data Protection Regulation, supplemented by the national "Databeskyttelsesloven" LOV 289 af 08 March 2024. More information on processing of personal data can be found on this website (Processing of data).
8.1. Release calendar
Eurostat: Statistical information is published in accordance with an approved release calendar.
National: No release calendar available, as statistics on Dublin are only reflected publicly in an annual publication (see 10.2).
Once a year Dublin statistics are transmitted to Eurostat. Denmark delivers revised data if needed.
At the national level the Danish Immigration Service prepares yearly overviews on Dublin statistics, which are subsequently published by the Ministry of Immigration and Integration. However, the figures do not correspond 100% to the ones published by Eurostat.
10.1. Dissemination format - News release
Ad-hoc press releases are usually published by the Ministry of Immigration and Integration.
The Danish Immigration Service does not have an online national data base for Dublin statistics available to the public.
10.3.1. Data tables - consultations
Not applicable.
10.4. Dissemination format - microdata access
Not applicable.
10.5. Dissemination format - other
Not applicable.
10.5.1. Metadata - consultations
Not applicable.
10.6. Documentation on methodology
Please see the annex "Technical Guidelines on Dublin statistics". Please refer as well to Article 4.4 of the Regulation (EC) No 862/2007 and Regulation (EU) 851/2020. Denmark has documentation of case handling system, documentation of registration practices, and documentation how these are linked in data.
10.6.1. Metadata completeness - rate
Not applicable.
10.7. Quality management - documentation
Not applicable.
11.1. Quality assurance
Data checks and data validation are performed regularly. The Statistical Unit is in constant contact with the specialist offices for consultation on suspicious/unusual registrations (outliers or obvious mistakes such as a negative age) and feedback on the plausibility of the numbers. Case managers have access to statistics with a delay of maximum one day and can thereby follow the development of the numbers almost in real time. Finally, there are performed more extensive checks at the end of a year and in connection with regular publications, such as the delivery of data to Eurostat.
11.2. Quality management - assessment
All statistics are collected and processed by the Statistical Unit at the Danish Immigration Service. The unit provides statistics on behalf of all migration authorities in Denmark.
There are two separate institutions from where data is collected under article 4.4 - the Danish Immigration Service and Home Return Agency. Both are using the same electronic case handling system (ECDH).
The processing and compilation of the residence permits statistics are solely based on administrative records – from ECDH. As a main rule, the compilation of statistics is based on figures directly retrieved from the ECDH system by using a Business Intelligence (BI) solution– no cell rounding of the data is applied. The data material undergoes validation on a regular basis. Lists with erroneous registrations are produced and sent to the relevant authorities for further action. Despite the care taken in registering, updating and compiling the statistics, there are some challenging/known issues, such as length of validity, the registration of which in the systems is not compulsory. However, in general the data is of “Good” quality and reliable.
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 statistics : The figures from Eurostat are not published at the national level. However, the Danish Immigration Service is aware that both journalists and politicians use numbers from Eurostat's databases in their daily work.
Unmet user needs (on statistics) and reasons why these needs cannot be satisfied (at national and international level) : There has not been any surveys regarding user needs or satisfaction at the national level.
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
The Danish Immigration Service does not conduct user satisfaction surveys per se. Instead, 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 Dublin 2024’.
12.3.1. Data completeness - rate
Not applicable.
13.1. Accuracy - overall
The processing and compilation of Dublin statistics are solely based on administrative records the same electronic case handling (ECDH).
The statistics are subject to general uncertainty as the immigration authorities’ electronic case management system are structured as record-case management systems and not as actual statistical system.
The Danish Immigration Service has a revision practice, which is in line with Statistics Denmark’s criteria.
The data material undergoes validation on a regular basis. Lists with erroneous registrations are produced and sent to the relevant authorities for further action.
Despite the care taken in registering, updating and compiling the statistics, there are some challenging/known issues, such as length of validity, the registration of which in the systems is not compulsory. However, in general the data is of “Good” quality and reliable.
13.2. Sampling error
Not applicable.
13.2.1. Sampling error - indicators
Not applicable.
13.3. Non-sampling error
There are not any known systematic coverage, measurement, nonresponse or processing errors.
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
The only errors can come from recording errors (erroneous variable or missing data).
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
Number of days (on average) after the end of the reference period at which the country is able to report the first/preliminary data, at the earliest : 60 days.
Reasons for possible long production of the first/preliminary data and plans to improve the situation : Due to a long validation process.
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
The asylum statistics are comparable between all regions of Denmark, there is only one national system of accumulating and processing the data.
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
The comparability over time is affected by updates of requested statistics.
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
Asylum statistics collected under Article 4 of the Regulation (EC) 862/2007 are based on persons, while Dublin statistics may refer to requests in a few cases.
15.3.1. Coherence - sub annual and annual statistics
Data released in an ad hoc manner during the reference year is provisional. There may occur changes/later updates before the end of the year.
15.3.2. Coherence - National Accounts
Not applicable.
15.4. Coherence - internal
Persons reported under 'Decisions on outgoing requests' will not necessarily be reported under outgoing transfers in the same year.
Persons reported under 'Decisions on incoming requests' will not necessarily be reported under incoming transfers in the same year.
Not applicable.
17.1. Data revision - policy
The data material undergoes validation on a regular basis. The Danish Immigration Service will send revised data to Eurostat if significant changes occur.
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
Data are directly retrieved from the ECDH system by using a Business Intelligence (BI) solution with 1 day lag.
Normally the Danish Immigration Service’s data for the previous reference year is made final in the middle of February. However, the validation takes place up until the data is sent to Eurostat.
18.3. Data collection
All statistics are collected and processed by the Statistical Unit at the Danish Immigration Service. The unit provides statistics on behalf of all migration authorities in Denmark.
There are two separate institutions from where data is collected under article 4.4 - the Danish Immigration Service and Home Return Agency. Both are using the same electronic case handling system (ECDH).
As a main rule, the compilation of statistics is based on figures directly retrieved from the ECDH system by using a Business Intelligence (BI) solution. No cell rounding of the data is applied.
18.4. Data validation
Before being loaded in the database, internal consistency of the file is ensured.
18.5. Data compilation
As a main rule, the compilation of statistics is based on figures directly retrieved from the ECDH system by using a Business Intelligence (BI) solution– no cell rounding of the data is applied. The data material undergoes validation on a regular basis. Lists with erroneous registrations are produced and sent to the relevant authorities for further action.
This metadata information is provided by the Danish Immigration Service to ensure compliance with the requirements of Article 4.4 (Dublin statistics) of Regulation (EC) 862/2007 on Migration and International Protection as amended by the Regulation (EU) 2020/851.
As required by Article 9 of the Regulation (EC) 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.
The reference document used for assessing the compliance of the concepts and definitions in this metadata file is the document Dublin statistics - Eurostat Technical guidelines to Dublin statistics (see Annex).
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).
29 July 2025
See table 3.4. in annex ‘Quality report tables Dublin 2024’.
The text of article 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’.
Denmark.
Calendar year.
The processing and compilation of Dublin statistics are solely based on administrative records the same electronic case handling (ECDH).
The statistics are subject to general uncertainty as the immigration authorities’ electronic case management system are structured as record-case management systems and not as actual statistical system.
The Danish Immigration Service has a revision practice, which is in line with Statistics Denmark’s criteria.
The data material undergoes validation on a regular basis. Lists with erroneous registrations are produced and sent to the relevant authorities for further action.
Despite the care taken in registering, updating and compiling the statistics, there are some challenging/known issues, such as length of validity, the registration of which in the systems is not compulsory. However, in general the data is of “Good” quality and reliable.
Number of persons.
As a main rule, the compilation of statistics is based on figures directly retrieved from the ECDH system by using a Business Intelligence (BI) solution– no cell rounding of the data is applied. The data material undergoes validation on a regular basis. Lists with erroneous registrations are produced and sent to the relevant authorities for further action.
See table 18.1. in annex ‘Quality report tables Dublin 2024’.
Once a year Dublin statistics are transmitted to Eurostat. Denmark delivers revised data if needed.
At the national level the Danish Immigration Service prepares yearly overviews on Dublin statistics, which are subsequently published by the Ministry of Immigration and Integration. However, the figures do not correspond 100% to the ones published by Eurostat.
Number of days (on average) after the end of the reference period at which the country is able to report the first/preliminary data, at the earliest : 60 days.
Reasons for possible long production of the first/preliminary data and plans to improve the situation : Due to a long validation process.
The asylum statistics are comparable between all regions of Denmark, there is only one national system of accumulating and processing the data.
See table 15.2. in annex ‘Quality report tables Dublin 2024’.
