The European Commission has unveiled its inaugural list of ‘safe’ countries of origin for asylum purposes, outlining states from which asylum applications will undergo expedited processing within a three-month timeframe. The Commission has assessed that all candidate countries satisfy the criteria to be deemed safe, with the temporary exclusion of Ukraine due to the ongoing conflict within its borders. This list includes Albania, Bosnia, Georgia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Turkiye, alongside seven additional countries: Kosovo, Bangladesh, Colombia, Egypt, India, Morocco, and Tunisia.
Individuals from these nations rarely receive refugee status in the European Union, with approval rates at or below five percent. The European list awaits approval from both the Parliament and Member States and is not intended to replace national lists. Many EU countries maintain their own lists of safe countries of origin, which expedite asylum procedures for citizens. For instance, Italy’s list comprises 19 countries, including Ghana, Senegal, and Algeria, while Germany’s current list includes nine countries, with plans to expand by adding Algeria, India, Morocco, and Tunisia.
The Commission’s common list aims to promote alignment among member states’ national lists and could be featured in future proposals to streamline the designation process for safe countries of origin. The EU list is described as “dynamic,” allowing for the removal or addition of countries as conditions evolve. Regular reviews of each country’s conditions will be conducted, emphasizing that absence from the list does not imply a country’s unsafety.
The designation of safe countries of origin remains a contentious issue. In several member states, courts have intervened to halt deportations or the accelerated processing of asylum applications, citing uncertainties about the safety of the applicants’ countries of origin. For example, Italy’s agreement with Albania to process asylum seekers from Bangladesh and Egypt in Albanian centers was blocked by Italian courts. The matter was referred to the EU Court of Justice due to ambiguities regarding the safety of the countries involved.
The Commission has addressed such challenges in its list by allowing member states to exclude specific parts of a safe country from the designation. It is important to distinguish the concept of a safe country of origin from that of a safe third country, which pertains to non-EU countries where rejected asylum seekers may be deported.
The Societal Shift
The introduction of a common EU list of safe countries of origin holds significant implications for asylum processes across Europe. By standardizing which countries are considered safe, the EU aims to streamline asylum applications, potentially reducing the time and resources spent on processing cases deemed less likely to result in refugee status. This could lead to faster decision-making and a more efficient allocation of resources for asylum seekers from countries with higher recognition rates.
For member states, particularly those with extensive national lists, the EU’s initiative encourages a more unified approach, potentially easing administrative burdens and fostering greater cooperation. However, the dynamic nature of the list ensures that member states retain some flexibility to address specific concerns about safety in particular regions or countries. While the list aims to improve consistency in asylum procedures, it remains crucial for the EU and its member states to carefully assess and update the list to reflect changing geopolitical conditions.
