The European Union on Wednesday published a list of seven countries it considers “safe,” as part of an effort to speed up migrant returns and make it harder for citizens of those nations to obtain asylum within the bloc.
The European Commission proposed designating Kosovo, Bangladesh, Colombia, Egypt, India, Morocco, and Tunisia as “safe countries of origin.” The move, already criticized by human rights organizations, would allow EU member states to process asylum applications from nationals of those countries more swiftly, under the assumption that their claims lack merit.
“Many member states are facing a significant backlog of asylum applications. Anything we can do now to support faster decisions is essential,” said Magnus Brunner, the EU Commissioner for Migration.
The proposal comes amid mounting pressure on Brussels to curb irregular arrivals and facilitate deportations, against the backdrop of growing anti-immigration sentiment that has fueled far-right electoral gains in several EU countries.
The Commission noted that countries seeking to join the EU could also, in principle, meet the criteria for being labeled safe, though it acknowledged exceptions—such as those affected by armed conflict—would apply, excluding, for instance, Ukraine.
This is not the first time the EU has attempted such a move. A similar list was proposed in 2015 but ultimately shelved after intense internal disagreements, particularly over whether to include Turkey, another EU candidate country.
According to the Commission, the updated list was drawn up based on countries that currently account for a significant share of asylum applications. The list can be expanded or revised over time. Some member states already maintain their own lists of so-called safe countries—France, for example, includes Mongolia, Serbia, and Cape Verde.
The broader goal is to harmonize asylum standards across the bloc and provide a common framework. While member states may add countries to the EU’s list, they are not allowed to remove any.
Despite the “safe country” designation, each asylum application will still be examined individually to ensure legal safeguards remain in place and that no applicant is automatically rejected, the Commission emphasized.
The plan must still be approved by both the European Parliament and the governments of all 27 member states before taking effect.
However, it has already drawn sharp criticism. EuroMed Rights, a human rights umbrella organization, warned that several of the countries listed have “documented human rights abuses and limited protections for both citizens and migrants.”
According to the EU border agency Frontex, irregular border crossings into the EU fell by 38% in 2024 to 239,000 cases, following a near-decade high in 2023.
Nonetheless, governments like Italy, Denmark, and the Netherlands have pushed for tougher measures. In October, EU leaders called for urgent legislation to increase and speed up returns, and for the Commission to explore “innovative” ways to combat irregular migration.
Currently, less than 20% of individuals ordered to leave the bloc are successfully returned to their countries of origin, according to EU data. Last month, the Commission unveiled a reform plan for the EU’s return system, paving the way for member states to establish migrant return centers outside EU territory.
