1.1. Contact organisation
Statistics Portugal
Homeland Security System
1.2. Contact organisation unit
Statistics Portugal - Department of Demographic and Social Statistics / Demographic Statistics Unit
Homeland Security System - Border and Foreigners Coordination Unit
1.3. Contact name
Confidential because of GDPR
1.4. Contact person function
Confidential because of GDPR
1.5. Contact mail address
Statistics Portugal
Avenida António José de Almeida
1000-043 Lisboa
PORTUGAL
SSI - UCFE
Av. Defensores de Chaves 6
1049 - 063 Lisboa
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
10 February 2023
2.1. Metadata last certified
10 October 2025
2.2. Metadata last posted
10 October 2025
2.3. Metadata last update
10 October 2025
Immigration enforcement data (EIL statistics) contain statistical information based on Articles 5 and 7 of Regulation (EC) No 862/2007, as amended by Regulation (EU) 2020/851 with reference to third-country nationals:
- refused entry at the external border;
- illegal presence;
- exit order;
- return after exit order.
3.1. Data description
Enforcement of immigration legislation data (EIL statistics) contain statistical information based on Article 5 and 7 of the Regulation (EC) No 862/2007 as amended by the Regulation (EU) 2020/851 with reference to third-country nationals:
- refused entry at the external border,
- found to be illegally present,
- ordered to leave,
- returned following an order to leave.
3.2. Classification system
See table 3.2. in annex ‘Quality report tables EIL 2024’.
3.3. Coverage - sector
Migration and asylum – Enforcement of Immigration Legislation statistics
3.4. Statistical concepts and definitions
See table 3.4. in annex ‘Quality report tables EIL 2024’.
3.5. Statistical unit
Number of persons
3.6. Statistical population
See table 3.6. in annex ‘Quality report tables EIL 2024’.
3.7. Reference area
Portugal
3.8. Coverage - Time
See table 3.8. in annex ‘Quality report tables EIL 2024’.
3.9. Base period
Not applicable.
Number of persons.
Calendar quarter and calendar year.
SEF’s (Immigration and Borders Control Service) structure was allocated by regions/ provinces, offering control points in major cities and divided into delegations throughout Algarve, Lisbon area and Alentejo, Center and North of Portugal, Azores and Madeira.
SEF's Staff was originally constituted by Police Inspectors and Administrative Personnel.
The extinction of SEF was approved by the Portuguese Parliament in October, the 22th, 2021, with the suggestion of postponenment of extinction for May 2022, due to the covid-19 pandemic. In April 2022, the government postponed SEF's extinction once again until the creation of the Portuguese Agency for Migration and Asylum (APMA), which was later renamed the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum, I.P. (AIMA).
The transition from SEF to AIMA, was marked by several phases of governmental approvals and promulgations. The final approval of the creation of AIMA (April 6, 2023) and the promulgation of the consequent diplomas by the President of the Portuguese Republic, took place on May, the 24th, of the same year.
Innitially staffed by 1,708 workers (1,043 inspectors and 665 administrative personnel), SEF went through significant restructure, with the separation of administrative and police roles and duties, leading to a new era in Migration and Asylum Management with the inauguration of AIMA, I.P.
The Governmental Bill, regulating the transfer of SEF workers, established inspectors to be transferred to the Judiciary Police, and personnel with administrative functions to be allocated to the Institute of Registries and Notaries (IRN) and the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA).
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
Statistics Portugal
Statistics Portugal is the central authority for the production and dissemination of official statistics in Portugal. It is part of the indirect administration of the State and has the status of a public institute with a special legal regime, endowed with administrative autonomy. It operates under the supervision of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers and plays a vital role in public governance by providing impartial, high-quality, and relevant statistical information to society.
Statistics Portugal mission is to produce, in an independent, impartial, effective, and efficient manner, high-quality official statistical information, relevant to society, contributing to public and private decision-making, scientific development, and informed public debate.
Therefore, in the exercise of its statistical functions, INE enjoys technical independence, with full authority to define statistical methods, standards, and release calendars based on scientific and professional criteria. This principle is enshrined in Law No. 22/2008 of 13th May, which regulates the National Statistical System (SEN) and is reinforced at the European level by Regulation (EC) No. 223/2009, of 11th March 2009, and also the European Statistics Code of Practice.
Its structure and functioning are governed by Decree-Law No. 136/2012 of 2nd July, complemented by the Statutes approved by Ordinance No. 423/2012, and amended by Ordinances No. 120/2014 and No. 68/2019.
Border and Foreigners Coordination Unit (UCFE)
The Decree-Law No. 99-A/2023, of October, created the Border and Foreigners Coordination Unit (UCFE), which operates within the Internal Security System, under the authority and coordination of the respective Secretary-General, in the exercise of its coordination and management powers, responding to the needs resulting from the restructuring of the Portuguese border control system.
This complex restructuring process, which involves the organic separation of administrative and police powers, led to the creation of the UCFE which, due to its nature and composition, offers the necessary guarantees for maintaining internal security, functioning as a single point of coordination for border and foreign affairs, both nationally and internationally.
The UCFE is responsible for coordinating the actions of the security forces and services among themselves and between them and the Institute of Registration and Notary Affairs, I. P., and the Agency for Integration, Migration, and Asylum, I. P. (AIMA, I. P.), ensuring their cooperation and coordination in matters relating to the movement of persons, return and border control.
It also manages databases and information systems relating to borders and foreign nationals that contain information of a police nature and relating to international police cooperation, whether national for the purposes of registering and disseminating precautionary and police measures, issuing security opinions and border control, or the national components of the European Union's large-scale information systems.
In accordance with the resulting legislative changes, since October 29, 2023, the UCFE has, among other legal competences, the responsibility to:
- Centralize information relating to the coercive removal, expulsion, readmission, and voluntary return of foreign nationals, as well as develop technical standards with a view to standardizing procedures;
- Centralize and collect information on the entry, stay, and departure of persons from the national territory, human trafficking, aiding illegal immigration, and other crimes related to irregular immigration.
European level:
Regulation (EC) No 862/2007 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 July 2007 on Community statistics on migration and international protection and repealing Council Regulation (EEC) No 311/76 on the compilation of statistics on foreign workers (Text with EEA relevance)
6.2. Institutional Mandate - data sharing
Data are transmitted via Eurostat to other international organisations as Statistics Portugal is part of the European Statistical System and coordinates and shares data with the Commission (Eurostat).
With the restructuring of the Portuguese border control system, international protection and the documentation of foreign citizens, the following steps were taken:
- Border control; coordination and coordination of management, information and databases and information systems relating to the movement of people and border control: National Republican Guard; Public Security Police and Border and Foreigners Coordination Unit (UCFE);
- Supervision and control of the stay of foreign citizens: Public Security Police; National Republican Guard;
- Responsibility for coordinating the work of the security forces and services among themselves and between them and the Institute of Registries and Notaries, I. P., and the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum, I. P.: UCFE - SSI, Internal Security System
In practice, AIMA is responsible for instructing cases
The PSP and GNR are responsible for executing cases.
But there is an excellent collaboration between AIMA and the SSI, given that they are institutions that work with each other and participate very actively.
7.1. Confidentiality - policy
The Statistical Confidentiality Policy of Statistics Portugal stems from the Constitution of the Portuguese Republic, from Law no. 22/2008, of 13 May, which establishes the principles, rules and structure of the National Statistical System and in particular the Principle of Statistical Confidentiality (Article 6), from the Regulation (EC) 223/2009 of 11 March (article 20 and following), in its current version, establishing the legal framework for the development, production and dissemination of European Statistics, and Regulation (EU) 557/2013 of 17 June concerning access to confidential data for scientific purposes. It is also governed by the principles agreed among EU Member States and enshrined in the European Statistics Code of Practice (2nd revision/2017), namely principle 5 on Statistical Confidentiality and, more broadly, by the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics, established by the United Nations Statistical Commission in 1994 and endorsed by the United Nations General Assembly in January 2014 (principle 6). Regarding the processing of personal data, the exercise of statistical activity also complies with Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the Parliament and of the Council of 27 April, which lays down the rules on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data and other legislation applicable in this area.
Statistical Confidentiality Policy is available on the Statistics Portugal website, where it is accessible to all interested users. This document outlines the principles, legal framework, and procedures adopted to ensure the protection of confidential statistical information, in accordance with applicable national and European legislation.
Law no. 59/2019 - Approves the rules on the processing of personal data for the purposes of the prevention, detection, investigation or prosecution of criminal offenses or the execution of criminal penalties, transposing Directive (EU) 2016/680 of the European Parliament and of the Council of April 27, 2016.
7.2. Confidentiality - data treatment
Please, consult annex for the information on statistical confidentiality.
The Statistics Department, in accordance with the GDPR, and the department responsible for data protection at SSI-UCFE, guarantee the confidentiality of the data extracted.
Annexes:
Statistical Confidentiality
8.1. Release calendar
Statistics Portugal does not publish EIL statistics.
8.2. Release calendar access
Not applicable, see 8.1.
8.3. Release policy - user access
Not applicable, see 8.1
Not applicable.
10.1. Dissemination format - News release
Not applicable.
10.2. Dissemination format - Publications
Not applicable
10.3. Dissemination format - online database
Not applicable
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
Not applicable
10.6.1. Metadata completeness - rate
Not applicable.
10.7. Quality management - documentation
Not applicable
11.1. Quality assurance
In a national level:
The EIL statistics produced are regularly used by national administrations: public bodies and some studies at academic level.
European and international level:
The main users of EIL statistics are Eurostat, DG Home Affairs and EASO.
11.2. Quality management - assessment
The data is reliable and verified by the Statistics Directorate
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
In a national level:
The EIL statistics produced are used regularly by government bodies and for some academic studies.
European and international level:
The main users of EIL statistics are Eurostat, DG Home Affairs and EASO.
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
No user satisfaction surveys are carried out.
12.3. Completeness
See table 12.3. in annex ‘Quality report tables EIL 2024’.
12.3.1. Data completeness - rate
Not applicable.
13.1. Accuracy - overall
The data is reliable and verified by the Statistics Directorate
13.2. Sampling error
Not applicable.
13.2.1. Sampling error - indicators
Not applicable.
13.3. Non-sampling error
Not aplicable
13.3.1. Coverage error
See table 13.3.1. in annex ‘Quality report tables EIL 2024’.
13.3.1.1. Over-coverage - rate
Not applicable.
13.3.1.2. Common units - proportion
Not applicable.
13.3.2. Measurement error
Not aplicable
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 aplicable
13.3.5. Model assumption error
Not applicable.
14.1. Timeliness
The UCFE is able to report data in a timely manner.
14.1.1. Time lag - first result
Not applicable.
14.1.2. Time lag - final result
Not applicable.
14.2. Punctuality
See table 3.6. in annex ‘Quality report tables EIL 2024’.
14.2.1. Punctuality - delivery and publication
The UCFE, in accordance with its legal powers, is centralizing and reporting the data related to borders and foreigners.
15.1. Comparability - geographical
Statistics are comparable between geographical areas in PT
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 EIL 2024’.
15.2.1. Length of comparable time series
Not applicable.
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
See table 15.3. in annex ‘Quality report tables EIL 2024’.
15.3.1. Coherence - sub annual and annual statistics
Normally, there can be statistical differences due to inputs and outputs.
15.3.2. Coherence - National Accounts
Not applicable.
15.4. Coherence - internal
Not aplicable
Not aplicable
17.1. Data revision - policy
Not aplicable
Statistics Portugal publishes a comprehensive set of methodological documentation and other information on its website, including information on the revision policy and practice.
17.2. Data revision - practice
See table 17.2. in annex ‘Quality report tables EIL 2024’.
17.2.1. Data revision - average size
Not applicable.
18.1. Source data
See table 18.1. in the annex 'Quality report tables EIL 2024’.
18.2. Frequency of data collection
UCFE has quarterly submission tables:
- Y5.1/5.2
- Y6.1/6.2
And the annual EIL:
- Y1/Y2
- Y3/Y4
18.3. Data collection
The tables:
- Y5.1/5.2
- Y6.1/6.2
are submitted on feb, may, aug and nov
And this ones, obviaslly are annual:
- Y1/Y2
- Y3/Y4
18.4. Data validation
The tables:
- Y5.1/5.2
- Y6.1/6.2
are submitted on feb, may, aug and nov
And this ones, obviaslly are annual:
- Y1/Y2
- Y3/Y4
18.5. Data compilation
Data is compiled by UCFE.
18.5.1. Imputation - rate
Not applicable.
18.6. Adjustment
No statistical techniques applied.
18.6.1. Seasonal adjustment
No statistical technique applied.
No comments.
Enforcement of immigration legislation data (EIL statistics) contain statistical information based on Article 5 and 7 of the Regulation (EC) No 862/2007 as amended by the Regulation (EU) 2020/851 with reference to third-country nationals:
- refused entry at the external border,
- found to be illegally present,
- ordered to leave,
- returned following an order to leave.
10 October 2025
See table 3.4. in annex ‘Quality report tables EIL 2024’.
Number of persons
See table 3.6. in annex ‘Quality report tables EIL 2024’.
Portugal
Calendar quarter and calendar year.
The data is reliable and verified by the Statistics Directorate
Number of persons.
Data is compiled by UCFE.
See table 18.1. in the annex 'Quality report tables EIL 2024’.
Not applicable.
The UCFE is able to report data in a timely manner.
Statistics are comparable between geographical areas in PT
See table 15.2. in annex ‘Quality report tables EIL 2024’.
