Glossary
The EMN Glossary – as one of the key products of the EMN - improves comparability by enabling a common understanding and use of terms and definitions relating to asylum and migration. The Glossary draws on a variety of sources, but primarily on the legislation of the EU asylum and immigration acquis, and makes terms available in the majority of EU Member State languages.
The online version is regularly updated and available in various languages.
- BG: законно влизане
- CZ: oprávněný vstup
- DE: legale Einreise
- EE: seaduslik (riiki) sisenemine
- EN: legal entry
- ES: entrada legal
- FI: laillinen maahantulo
- FR: entrée légale
- GA: iontráil dhleathach
- GR: νόμιμη είσοδος
- HU: legális beutazás / belépés
- IT: ingresso autorizzato
- LT: teisėtas atvykimas
- LV: likumīga ieceļošana
- MT: Dħul legali
- NL: legale binnenkomst
- NO: lovlig innreise (b) / lovleg innreise (n)
- PL: legalny wjazd
- PT: legalne przekroczenie granicy,
- RO: intrare legală
- SE: laglig inresa
- SK: oprávnený vstup (national law) / legálny vstup
- SL: zakonit vstop
In the Schengen context, and for a stay not exceeding three months per six-month period, the entry of a third-country national into a Schengen Member State in compliance with Art. 5 of the Regulation (EU) 2016/399 (Schengen Borders Code).
Schengen context: Derived by EMN from Art. 5 of Regulation (EC) No 562/2006 (Schengen Borders Code)
- BG: Шенгенско споразумение
- CZ: Schengenská dohoda
- DE: Schengener Übereinkommen
- EE: Schengeni leping
- EN: Schengen Agreement
- ES: Acuerdo de Schengen
- FI: Schengenin sopimus
- FR: accord de Schengen
- GA: Comhaontú Schengen
- HU: Schengeni Megállapodás
- IT: Accordo di Schengen
- LT: Šengeno susitarimas
- LV: Šengenas nolīgums
- MT: Ftehim (Il-) ta’ Schengen
- NL: Schengenakkoord
- NO: Schengen-avtalen
- PL: Układ z Schengen
- RO: Acordul Schengen
- SE: Schengenavtalet
- SK: Schengenská dohoda
- SL: Schengenski sporazum
An agreement between some EU Member States and some neighbouring non-Member States to gradually remove controls at their common borders and introduce freedom of movement for all nationals of the signatory Member States, other EU Member States or third countries.
2. The Agreement and the Convention, the rules adopted on that basis and the related agreements together form the ‘Schengen acquis’. Since 1999, this has formed part of the institutional and legal framework of the European Union by virtue of a protocol to the Treaty of Amsterdam.
3. The rules governing the movement of persons across borders are set out in Regulation (EU) 2016/399 (Schengen Borders Code).
4. For more information, see the website of the European Commission on Schengen.
- BG: Шенгенски граничен кодекс
- CZ: Schengenský hraniční kodex
- DE: Schengener Grenzkodex
- EE: Schengeni piirieeskirjad
- EN: Schengen Borders Code
- ES: Código de fronteras Schengen
- FI: Schengenin rajasäännöstö
- FR: code frontières Schengen
- GA: Cód Teorainneacha Schengen
- GR: κώδικαςσυνόρων του Σένγκεν
- HU: Schengeni határ-ellenőrzési kódex
- IT: codice frontiere Schengen
- LT: Šengeno sienų kodeksas
- LV: Šengenas Robežu kodekss
- MT: Konvenzjoni (Il-) ta’ Schengen
- NL: Schengengrenscode
- NO: Schengen-regelverket
- PL: kodeks graniczny Schengen
- PT: Código das Fronteiras Schengen
- SE: kodex om Schengengränserna
- SK: Kódex schengenských hraníc
- SL: Zakonik o schengenskih mejah
The rules governing border control of persons crossing the external EU borders of the EU Member States.
- BG: граничен контрол
- CZ: pohraniční kontrola
- DE: Grenzkontrolle
- EE: piirikontroll
- EN: border control
- ES: control fronterizo
- FI: rajavalvonta
- FR: contrôle aux frontières
- GA: rialú teorann
- GR: συνοριακός έλεγχος / έλεγχος των συνόρων
- HU: határellenőrzés
- IT: controllo di frontiera
- LT: sienų kontrolė
- LV: robežkontrole
- MT: Kontroll mal-konfini / mal-fruntiera
- NL: grenstoezicht (syn.: grensbewaking, grenscontrole)
- NO: grensekontroll
- PL: kontrola graniczna
- PT: controlo de fronteira
- RO: control de frontieră
- SE: gränskontroll
- SK: kontrola hraníc
- SL: nadzor meje
The activity carried out at a border, in accordance with and for the purposes of Regulation (EU) 2016/399 (Schengen Borders Code), in response exclusively to an intention to cross or the act of crossing that border, regardless of any other consideration, consisting of border checks and border surveillance.
- BG: незаконен мигрант
- CZ: nelegální migrant
- DE: irregulärer Migrant
- EE: ebaseaduslik sisserändaja
- EN: irregular migrant
- ES: inmigrante en situación irregular
- FI: laittomasti maassa oleskeleva henkilö
- FR: migrant en séjour irrégulier
- GA: imirceach neamhrialta
- GR: παράνομος μετανάστης
- HU: irreguláris migráns
- IT: migrante irregolare
- LT: neteisėtas migrantas
- LV: nelikumīgs migrants
- MT: Migrant(a) irregolari
- NL: illegaal verblijvende migrant
- NO: irregulær migrant
- PL: migrant nieregularny
- PT: imigrante irregular
- RO: migrant ilegal
- SE: irreguljär migrant
- SK: nelegálny migrant / migrant bez platného povolenia na pobyt
- SL: ilegaln migrant / nezakonit priseljenec
In the EU context, a third-country national present on the territory of a Schengen State who does not fulfil, or no longer fulfils, the conditions of entry as set out in the Regulation (EU) 2016/399 (Schengen Borders Code) or other conditions for entry, stay or residence in that EU Member State.
2. The term 'irregular' is preferable to 'illegal' migrant because the latter carries a criminal connotation, entering a country in an irregular manner, or staying with an irregular status, is not a criminal offence but an infraction of administrative regulations. Apart from this, juridically and ethically, an act can be legal or illegal but a person cannot. Thus more and more the term 'migrant in an irregular situation' or 'migrant with irregular status' is preferred.
3. The European Commission has used the term 'third-country national found to be illegally present' or 'illegally resident/staying third-country national' in legislation.
4. The Council of Europe differentiates between illegal migration and irregular migrant. Referring to Resolution 1509 (2006) of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly, ‘illegal’ is preferred when referring to a status or process, whereas 'irregular' is preferred.
- BG: незаконно пребиваване
- CZ: neoprávněný pobyt
- DE: irregulärer Aufenthalt
- EE: ebaseaduslik (riigis) viibimine
- EN: irregular stay
- ES: estancia irregular
- FI: laiton oleskelu
- FR: séjour irrégulier
- GA: cuairt aimhrialta
- GR: παράνομη διαμονή
- HU: szabálytalan tartózkodás
- IT: soggiorno irregolare
- LT: neteisėtas buvimas
- LV: nelikumīga uzturēšanās
- MT: Qagħda / Waqfa / Żjara irregolari
- NL: illegaal verblijf
- NO: irregulært opphold (b) / irregulært opphald (n)
- PL: nieregularny pobyt
- PT: permanência irregula
- RO: ședere ilegală
- SE: olaglig vistelse
- SK: neoprávnený pobyt (national law) / nelegálny pobyt
- SL: ilegalno prebivanje / nedovoljeno prebivanje
The presence on the territory of an EU Member State, of a third-country national who does not fulfil, or no longer fulfils the conditions of entry as set out in Art. 5 of the Regulation (EU) 2016/399 (Schengen Borders Code) or other conditions for entry, stay or residence in that EU Member State.
The European Commission favours nowadays the term ‘irregular stay’ (e.g. see: DG HOME e-Library Glossary ) instead of ‘illegal stay’ which was the term used in the Council Directive 2008/115/EC (Return Directive).
- BG: незаконно влизане
- CZ: neoprávněný vstup na území
- DE: irreguläre Einreise
- EE: ebaseaduslik (riiki) sisenemine
- EN: irregular entry
- ES: entrada irregular
- FI: laiton maahantulo
- FR: entrée irrégulière
- GA: iontráil aimhrialta
- GR: παράνομη είσοδος
- HU: szabálytalan határátlépés
- IT: ingresso irregolare
- LT: neteisėtas atvykimas
- LV: nelikumīga ieceļošana
- MT: Dħul irregolari
- NL: illegale binnenkomst
- NO: irregulær innreise
- PL: nieregularny wjazd
- PT: entrada irregular
- SE: olaglig inresa
- SK: nelegálny vstup / neoprávnený vstup
- SL: ilegalen vstop / nedovoljen vstop
In the Schengen context, the entry of a third-country national into a Schengen Member State who does not satisfy Art. 5 of the Regulation (EU) 2016/399 (Schengen Borders Code).
2. Art. 5 of the Regulation (EU) 2016/399 (Schengen Borders Code) states that for stays not exceeding three months per six-month period, the entry conditions for third-country nationals shall be the following:
a) they are in possession of a valid travel document or documents authorising them to cross the border;
b) they are in possession of a valid visa, if required pursuant to Council Regulation (EC) No 539/2001 listing the third countries whose nationals must be in possession of visas when crossing the external borders and those whose nationals are exempt from that requirement (17), except where they hold a valid residence permit;
c) they justify the purpose and conditions of the intended stay, and they have sufficient means of subsistence, both for the duration of the intended stay and for the return to their country of origin or transit to a third country into which they are certain to be admitted, or are in a position to acquire such means lawfully;
d) they are not persons for whom an alert has been issued in the SIS for the purposes of refusing entry;
e) they are not considered to be a threat to public policy, internal security, public health or the international relations of any of the EU Member States, in particular where no alert has been issued in EU Member States' national data bases for the purposes of refusing entry on the same grounds.
3. For more information, see Regulation (EU) 2016/399 (Schengen Borders Code).
- BG: отказ за влизане
- CZ: odmítnutí vstupu
- DE: Verweigerung der Einreise (EU acquis) / Einreiseverbot (DE)
- EE: sisenemiskeeld / isiku riiki mittelubamine
- EN: refusal of entry
- ES: denegación de entrada
- FI: pääsyn epääminen
- GA: náisiúnaigh tríú tír ar diúltaíodh iontráil dóibh
- GR: υπήκοοι τρίτων χωρών με άρνηση εισόδου
- HU: beléptetés megtagadása
- IT: respingimento (rifiuto di ingresso)
- LT: neįleidimas
- LV: ieceļošanas atteikums
- MT: Dħul miċħud / Tbarrija
- NL: toegangsweigering
- NO: innreisenekt
- PL: odmowa wjazdu
- PT: recusa de entrada a nacionais de países terceiros
- RO: refuzarea intrării
- SE: avvisning (tredjelandsmedborgare som nekas inresa)
- SK: odopretie vstupu
- SL: zavrnitev vstopa
In the EU context, refusal of entry of a third-country national at the external EU border because they do not fulfil all the entry conditions laid down in Art. 5(1) of Regulation (EU) 2016/399 (Schengen Borders Code) and do not belong to the categories of persons referred to in Art. 5(4) of that Regulation.
- BG: гражданин на трета страна
- CZ: státní přáslušník třetí země
- DE: Drittstaatsangehöriger
- EE: kolmanda riigi kodanik
- EN: third-country national
- ES: nacional de tercer país
- FI: kolmannen maan kansalainen
- FR: ressortissant d’un pays tiers
- GA: náisiúnach tríú tír
- GR: υπήκοος τρίτης χώρας
- HU: harmadik országbeli állampolgár
- IT: cittadino di un paese terzo
- LT: trečiosios šalies pilietis
- LV: trešās valsts pilsonis
- MT: Ċittadin(a) ta’ pajjiż terz
- NL: onderdaan van een derde land (syn. derde lander)
- NO: tredjelandsborger (b) / tredjelandsborgar (n)
- PL: obywatel kraju trzeciego
- PT: nacional de país terceiro
- RO: cetăţean terţ / al unui stat terţ
- SE: tredjelandsmedborgare
- SK: štátny príslušník tretej krajiny
- SL: državljan tretje države
Any person who is not a citizen of the European Union within the meaning of Art. 20(1) of TFEU and who is not a person enjoying the European Union right to free movement, as defined in Art. 2(5) of the Regulation (EU) 2016/399 (Schengen Borders Code).
2. The Migration Statistics Regulation (Regulation (EC) No 862/2007) has a slightly different definition for a third-country national, which considers nationals of NO, IS, LI and CH as third-country nationals. This definition is also applied in Council Directive 2009/50/EC (Blue Card Directive), Directive 2003/86/EC (Family Reunification Directive), Directive 2003/109/EC (Long Term Residents Directive), Directive 2005/71/EC (Researchers Directive) and Directive 2004/114/EC (Students Directive). This definition was considered to be too narrow for use by the EMN.
3. Nationals of Micro-States (Monaco, San Marino, Vatican City) are treated as third-country nationals since, although there are no border controls, there is no formal agreement for them to be 'beneficiaries of the free movement of persons' as defined in the EU acquis. This also means that they cannot be part of the Schengen Agreement.
- BG: трета страна
- CZ: třetí země
- DE: Drittstaat
- EE: kolmas riik
- EN: third country
- ES: tercer país
- FI: kolmas maa
- FR: pays tiers
- GA: tríú tír
- GR: τρίτη χώρα
- HU: harmadik ország
- IT: paese terzo
- LT: trečioji šalis
- LV: trešā valsts
- MT: Pajjiż terz
- NL: derde land
- NO: tredjeland
- PL: kraj trzeci
- PT: país terceiro
- RO: ţară / stat terţ
- SE: tredjeland
- SK: tretia krajina
- SL: tretja država
A country that is not a member of the European Union as well as a country or territory whose citizens do not enjoy the European Union right to free movement, as defined in Art. 2(5) of the Regulation (EU) 2016/399 (Schengen Borders Code).