BRUSSELS – The European Union has released a list of seven countries it now considers “safe countries of origin,” a move aimed at streamlining the asylum process and increasing the return of migrants whose claims are deemed unfounded.
The European Commission on Wednesday proposed the classification for Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Kosovo, Bangladesh, Colombia, and India, meaning asylum seekers from these nations will face a higher burden to prove their need for protection.
The new policy is designed to reduce the growing backlog of asylum applications across member states by accelerating procedures for individuals from countries presumed to be free of widespread persecution.
“With many EU nations overwhelmed by asylum requests, it’s crucial to act now to speed up decisions,” said EU Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner.
The announcement comes amid increasing political pressure to curb irregular migration, especially as anti-immigration sentiment gains traction across Europe and influences national elections.
The Commission clarified that countries applying for EU membership would generally qualify as safe — though with exceptions, such as those experiencing active conflict. Ukraine, for example, would be excluded under this clause.
A previous attempt to establish a similar list in 2015 faltered due to disagreements over the inclusion of Turkiye, another EU candidate.
This new list, which could be revised in the future, reflects countries from which a high number of asylum seekers currently originate. The goal is to align all member states under a unified standard — although individual countries can add to the list, they cannot remove nations from the EU-approved list.
While asylum claims from these designated countries will still be reviewed on a case-by-case basis, the presumption will now be that such applications are likely to be unfounded — a shift that has drawn sharp criticism from rights organizations.
Rights Groups Push Back
Human rights advocates have condemned the move, warning that several of the designated countries have poor records on civil liberties and migrant protection.
“Labeling them as ‘safe’ is not only misleading, it’s dangerous,” EuroMed Rights said in a post on X, pointing to documented abuses in some of the listed nations.
Pressure to Act on Irregular Migration
According to EU border agency Frontex, irregular border crossings into the EU dropped by 38% last year to around 239,000, following a decade-high surge in 2023. Still, concerns over migration have prompted stronger enforcement calls, particularly from Italy, Denmark, and the Netherlands.
In October, EU leaders pushed for urgent legislation to accelerate deportations and explore new strategies to address illegal migration.
Currently, only around 20% of people ordered to leave the EU are actually returned to their country of origin — a statistic the Commission hopes to improve through recent policy reforms.
Last month, the EU introduced a plan to overhaul its migrant return system, including proposals for establishing return centers outside EU borders.
Italy’s Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi praised the safe country list as a “success” for Rome, signaling support for tougher migration controls at the EU level.
Before the new rules take effect, the proposal must receive approval from both the European Parliament and the EU member states.
