Border Protection Division/ Hellenic Police HQs

Operational Unit

4, P. Kanellopoulou Av.-P.C. 10177-Athens

1. Introduction

This metadata information is provided by Greece's authorities to ensure compliance with the requirements of Articles 5 and 7 of Regulation 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 it with all the information necessary to evaluate the quality, comparability and completeness of the statistical information.

The reference terms for the assessment of quality compliance are provided by Eurostat in the EIL technical guidelines (See section 3.4 Statistical concepts and definitions from the EIL ESMS file).

2. General description of the statistical domain at national level

EIL National System (level of development, main changes that affected the system in the last years and further development)

The national system of Greece for the generation of the EIL-statistics consists of two different Divisions of the Aliens & Border Protection Branch of Hellenic Police HQs.  For the collection of the EIL statistics Border Protection Division is the responsible authority, which takes over the unification and the upload of the data on behalf of the Hellenic Police/HQs. This system is unchanged since introduction of the EIL-statistics.

Legal national framework relevant for EIL statistics

Presidential decree 178/2014

Institutional infrastructure (list of the institutions involved in managing the EIL registers and the institutions involved in the production of the EIL statistics)

Border Protection Division and Migration Management Division of Hellenic Police HQs

General procedure for recording Non-EU citizens refused entry at the external borders

All available relevant data registered electronically, prepared for reporting, in specific applications of our national IT system “Police on Line” such as “Mapping of Migrants”. In addition, our division receives, compares and evaluates the collected data, which are reported in a daily base by our regional Services.

General procedure for recording Non-EU citizens found to be illegally present

All available relevant data registered electronically, prepared for reporting, in specific applications of our national IT system “Police on Line”, such as “Mapping of Migrants”.

General procedure for recording Non-EU citizens ordered to leave

All available relevant data registered electronically, prepared for reporting, in specific applications of our national IT system “Police on Line” such as “Mapping of Migrants”.

General procedure for recording Non-EU citizens returned following an order to leave

All available relevant data registered electronically, prepared for reporting, in specific applications of our national IT system “Police on Line” such as “Mapping of Migrants”.

3. Main problems that affect the quality of the data and what tables are concerned including the compliance status with the definitions from EIL Technical Guideline

(See metadata information including concepts and definitions from the EIL ESMS file)

There are not any critical problems concerning the quality of the data.

Not available.
New concept added with the migration to SIMS 2.0.
Information (content) will be available after the next collection.

Not available.
New concept added with the migration to SIMS 2.0.
Information (content) will be available after the next collection.

Not available.
New concept added with the migration to SIMS 2.0.
Information (content) will be available after the next collection.

Not available.
New concept added with the migration to SIMS 2.0.
Information (content) will be available after the next collection.

Not available.
New concept added with the migration to SIMS 2.0.
Information (content) will be available after the next collection.

Not available.
New concept added with the migration to SIMS 2.0.
Information (content) will be available after the next collection.

Not available.
New concept added with the migration to SIMS 2.0.
Information (content) will be available after the next collection.

Not available.
New concept added with the migration to SIMS 2.0.
Information (content) will be available after the next collection.

National systematic process of gathering data for official statistics.

Description of the data validation system at national level

Data extracted on a monthly basis from the “Mapping of Migrants” application, is verified and reviewed directly from the Border Protection Division

Estimations used: Details on the estimations done for EIL statistics (methodology applied and the concerned categories and tables)

Not applicable

Not applicable

Not available.
New concept added with the migration to SIMS 2.0.
Information (content) will be available after the next collection.

1. Description of the Quality management system at national level

• Good quality (extensive quality) - covers all quality requirements and substantial quality checks are performed and a very good cooperation exists between institutions.
• Sufficient quality (acceptable quality) - covers minimum requirements, but issues still exist and more information/validation is needed for a better quality assessment and acceptable cooperation issues exists.
• Poor quality (inadequate quality) - the data do not meet the minimum requirements or there is not enough information for quality assessment and important cooperation issues exists.

1. General aspects

The statistics collected under the Regulation 862/2007 are widely used in official publications and by a wide range of users at national, European and International level.

Main users of EIL statistics at national level
The EIL 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.

National administrations in policy/decisions making, National statistics office, Local authorities and organizations, academic and scientific research and Media

Main users of EIL statistics at European and International level
The main users of EIL statistics are Eurostat, DG Home Affairs and EASO . The 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 EMN studies and reports that address specific issues of current policy importance.

2. EIL data publication at national level

Presentation of the EIL statistics published at national level

No national publication on EIL statistics. At national level, the Hellenic Police publishes, on a monthly and annually basis, data with different variables

 Differences between the data provided to Eurostat and the data published at national level (Comparability of figures)

There are differences between the categories.The data published at national level, which are also included into EIL statistics, are identical.

Not available

Completeness of the data provided based on Articles 5 and 7 Regulation 862/2007 (mandatory data provision) and justification of the missing mandatory breakdowns and completeness of the data provided on voluntary basis.

[Not requested]

-

Procedures and classifications used in case of missing information (e.g. unknown citizenship, age, etc)

In the database, mandatory and optional fields are used the same. The missing information is requested via formal document or email from our regional Services, which upload the data in the “Mapping on Migrants” application.  Unknown citizenship, age and gender is classified as unknown.

[Not requested]

[Not requested]

[Not requested]

 *target population refers to the population that should be included (as it is specified in technical guidelines)

[Not requested]

[Not requested]

[Not requested]

[Not requested]

[Not requested]

[Not requested]

[Not requested]

[Not requested]

[Not requested]

[Not requested]

Details related to the data revision policy and expected revisions of the data sent to Eurostat

Annual data review. In case of need for data to be modified, it will be revised and will be resend to Eurostat.

[Not requested]

[Not requested]

[Not requested]

[Not requested]

Problems with data provision to Eurostat in due time and the impact of these problems on the data quality provided to Eurostat

No critical problems concerning the provision of the data in due time.

[Not requested]

1. Provision of data using the Eurostat EIL Technical Guidelines and exceptions applied

Full compliance with EIL technical guidelines.

 2. Details on categories of Non-EU citizens difficult to be classified using the reference definitions from EIL technical guidelines and the categories excluded from these reasons (excluded from the statistics reported)

Full compliance with EIL technical guidelines.

3. Description of records related to "Unknown" country of citizenship category

Full compliance with EIL technical guidelines. 

4. Description of records related to "Unknown" age category

Persons whose current age is not identified. 

5. Description of records related to "Unknown" sex category

Persons whose sex is not identified.

6. Establishing the reported ground in case of “multiple grounds” for the same refusal and the impact on double counting of the person in the same dataset

The methodological procedure of "one ground per refused person", is applied, as laid down in EIL Technical Guidelines (procedure of "higher ground overrules the lower ground for refusal).

There is no impact on double counting. 

7. Type of "external border" applicable

Land boarder, Sea border and Air border

 8. The definition of “refused Non-EU citizens” applied

The Schengen Borders Code's refusal definition is applies for the Statistics reported to Eurostat

 9. The correspondence between the national system of “grounds for refusal" classification and Schengen Borders Code classification.

The national system uses the same definitions related to the “grounds for refusal”. 

10. The definition of “Non-EU citizens found to be illegally present” applied

The number of third-country nationals who have been detected by authorities while not fulfilling, or no longer fulfilling, the conditions for stay or residence, either when they are detected inland or while trying to exit the territory. 

11. The definition of “Non-EU citizens ordered to leave” applied

The number of third-country nationals subject to an obligation to leave the territory of the Member State as a result of an administrative or judicial decision or act stating or declaring that the stay of the third-country national was illegal according to a return decision/order issued in accordance with national law. 

12. The definition of “Non-EU citizens returned following an order to leave” applied

The number of third-country nationals returned from a Member State to a third country, either through voluntary departure or by forced return.

Not applicable

Methodological changes between the present reference year and previous year(s)

There are no changes in the method of collecting and checking the data over the years.

Justification of the important changes in figures reported for the present reference year and previous year(s)

Significant changes in the number of third country nationals 'found to be illegally present' are explained by the unprecedented increase of irregular migration in Greece through the GRC-TUR borders, during the migration crisis in 2015.

[Not requested]

1. Links between the statistics on refused Non-EU citizens and the statistics on Non-EU citizens found to be illegally present.

There is no direct link between the statistics on refused Non-EU citizens and the statistics on Non-EU citizens found to be illegally present. The statistics on refused Non-EU citizens refer to the number of third-country nationals refused entry at the external borders. The statistics on Non-EU citizens found to be illegally present refers to the number of third-country nationals who have been detected by Member State authorities while not fulfilling, or no longer fulfilling, the conditions for stay or residence in the Member State during the reference month, whether they were detected inland or while trying to exit the territory. 

2. Links between the statistics on Non-EU citizens found to be illegally present and the statistics on Non-EU citizens with obligation to leave.

There are links between the statistics on Non-EU citizens found to be illegally present and the statistics on Non-EU citizens with obligation to leave. More specifically, our regional Services were issuing return decisions/orders (obligation to leave) to Non-EU citizens found to be illegally present according to our national law. 

EIL-Statistics and Asylum statistics are reported by different authorities. 

3. Coherence between the EIL statistics and Asylum statistics

EIL-Statistics and Asylum statistics are reported by different authorities.

4. Dublin cases included in EIL statistics and the impact on the totals provided 

No Dublin cases included in EIL statistics.

5. Inclusion of voluntary returned Non-EU citizens in the statistics on Non-EU citizens who actually left the territory 

Voluntary returned Non-EU citizens are included in the statistics on Non-EU citizens who actually left the territory

Links between the EIL statistics and Asylum statistics and details related to the asylum applicant(s) case(s) included in EIL statistics. 

There is no link between Asylum statistics and the EIL statistics.

[Not requested]

[Not requested]

1. Links and differences between the Non-EU citizens with obligation to leave and Non-EU citizens who actually left the territory

There are links between the statistics on Non-EU citizen with obligation to leave and Non-EU citizens who actually left the territory. More specifically, a Non-EU citizen who actually left the territory is a person who actually left the territory while he had already the obligation to leave the territory (a return decision/order issued in accordance with national law). 

2. Links and differences between the Non-EU citizens who actually left the territory and Non-EU citizens who left the territory to a third country

Persons reported under "left to a third country" are also included under "who actually left the territory".

Not available at national level.

Not available at national level.

Presentation of the National online national database for EIL data accessible to the public and the accessibility procedure

Not available at national level.

[Not requested]

[Not requested]

Not available at national level.

There is not a published documentation on methodology concerning the collection and evaluation of EIL statistics.

Presentation of the available quality management - documentation

Not applicable

[Not requested]

[Not requested]

[Not requested]

[Not requested]

[Not requested]

The following classification is used for data availability at Eurostat level:

The term "not applicable" relates to the categories of permits which do not exist in national legislation/administrative procedures and therefore such statistics cannot be issued.

The term "not available" relates to categories of data that exist in the national legal/administrative system but cannot be delivered under EIL data collection for various reasons (e.g. data cannot exist, data exist but are not collected, data are unreliable, etc.).