The European Union said on Thursday that it will drastically reduce asylum applications from seven countries in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia by designating them as safe countries of origin, the Associated Press reports.
The move has sparked widespread anger among human rights groups, coinciding with International Migrants Day. Among the countries classified as safe is Kosovo.
An agreement between the European Parliament and the European Council states that countries will be considered safe if they lack “relevant circumstances, such as indiscriminate violence in the context of an armed conflict.”
As a result, asylum applications from Bangladesh, Colombia, Egypt, Kosovo, India, Morocco, and Tunisia will be subject to procedurally accelerated processing.
“The list may be expanded in the future, in accordance with the EU’s ordinary legislative procedure,” the agreement warns.
Candidate countries for EU membership are also included among those assessed as safe countries of origin, unless changing circumstances arise, such as an international or internal armed conflict, or restrictive measures affecting fundamental rights and freedoms.
The concept of safe countries of origin allows EU member states to apply a special system for examining asylum claims. Under the 2024 Asylum Procedures Regulation, adopted as part of the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, member states are required to apply accelerated procedures for applicants from safe countries of origin and may conduct these procedures at borders or in transit zones.
“Every year, tens of thousands of people arrive in Europe and apply for asylum even though they come from safe countries where there is generally no risk of persecution. Today we agreed on the EU’s first list of safe countries of origin, which will help create faster and more efficient asylum procedures and facilitate the return of those who do not need protection. This is an important milestone for EU asylum policy,” said Rasmus Stoklund, Denmark’s Minister for Immigration and Integration.
The agreement between the Council and the European Parliament must still be formally confirmed by both institutions before official adoption.
The regulation defining safe third countries at EU level also foresees faster implementation of certain provisions of the Migration and Asylum Pact. These specific rules will therefore apply as soon as the regulation enters into force. The EU list of safe countries of origin will begin to apply at the same time as the asylum procedures regulation, on 12 June 2026.
Olivia Sundberg Diez of Amnesty International said the new measures were “a shameless attempt to circumvent international legal obligations” and would put migrants at risk.
