EU adds seven nations to 'safe list' to speed up migrant returns

The move aimed at accelerating the deportation of migrants and streamlining asylum procedures across the bloc.

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The European Union on Wednesday unveiled a list of seven countries it now considers "safe countries of origin," a move aimed at accelerating the deportation of migrants and streamlining asylum procedures across the bloc.

The European Commission proposed designating Kosovo, Bangladesh, Colombia, Egypt, India, Morocco, and Tunisia as safe, meaning that asylum applications from nationals of these countries would be presumed to lack merit, allowing for faster processing and return.

"Many member states are facing a significant backlog of asylum applications, so anything we can do now to support faster asylum decisions is essential," said Magnus Brunner, the EU's Commissioner for Migration.

The proposal, however, has drawn strong criticism from human rights groups. EuroMed Rights, a coalition of rights organisations, condemned the move, arguing that several of the listed countries have “documented rights abuses and limited protections for both their own citizens and migrants.”
“Labelling them 'safe' is misleading, & dangerous,” the group wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Although asylum applications will still be examined individually, the new list introduces a presumption against claims from citizens of designated countries. The measure will require approval from both the European Parliament and EU member states before it can take effect.

The European Commission noted that the list can be expanded or revised over time and was developed based on the origin countries of a large number of current applicants. It also clarified that EU candidate nations may generally qualify as safe, with exceptions made in cases of active conflict, such as Ukraine.

The bloc attempted a similar initiative in 2015, but the plan collapsed amid disagreements, particularly over whether to include Turkey, another EU candidate country.

Some EU nations already maintain their own lists of safe countries. For instance, France includes Mongolia, Serbia, and Cape Verde. The current EU-wide effort aims to harmonize asylum procedures and establish a common baseline, though individual states may add to the EU list but cannot remove countries from it.

Brussels is under increasing political pressure to clamp down on irregular migration, a topic that has driven public concern and bolstered support for far-right parties across Europe.

While irregular border crossings into the EU dropped 38 percent to 239,000 in 2024, following a near decade-high in 2023, deportation rates remain low, with fewer than 20 percent of people ordered to leave actually returned to their countries of origin.

In October, EU leaders led by countries such as Italy, Denmark, and the Netherlands called for urgent legislative reforms and “innovative” solutions to boost returns. In response, the Commission recently proposed an overhaul of the return system, including the possibility of establishing return centres outside the EU.

Italy, a vocal proponent of tougher migration rules, welcomed Wednesday’s announcement. Italy’s Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi hailed the move as “a success for the Italian government.”