EU Identifies Seven "Safe" Countries to Expedite Asylum Processes

Wed Oct 22 2025 14:19:50 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

The European Union has named seven countries deemed safe for expedited asylum application processing amid ongoing challenges with irregular migration.

In an effort to streamline the asylum application process and enhance migrant returns, the European Union has classified seven countries—including Kosovo, Bangladesh, and Tunisia—as "safe." This move is met with praise from some EU states, particularly Italy, but has raised concerns among human rights groups regarding the implications for migrants' rights and national assessments.

The European Union has officially designated seven countries as "safe" nations of origin in a new effort aimed at accelerating the processing of asylum applications. Citizens from Kosovo, Bangladesh, Colombia, Egypt, India, Morocco, and Tunisia will see their asylum claims fast-tracked, with the EU projecting that such applications will be processed within three months under the presumption that they are likely to be rejected.

Markus Lammert, a spokesperson for the European Commission, described the list as a "dynamic" one that may be expanded or revised over time, indicating that countries might be removed if they later fail to meet safety criteria. This decision came in response to the significant influx of irregular migrants into EU nations during 2015-16, leading to efforts aimed at reforming asylum protocols.

In light of existing asylum agreements established last year, which won’t be enacted until June 2026, the EU requires immediate policies to hasten migrant returns, as recent statistics revealed that fewer than 20% of migrants ordered to leave were successfully returned. The newly proposed regulations allow EU member states to prioritize processing for individuals from the newly listed countries or for nations where fewer than 20% of applicants receive protection.

Countries taking steps towards EU membership will automatically be deemed safe states, although there may be exceptions— such as in current conflict zones like Ukraine. Italy, having experienced a considerable surge in migration since 2015, has been a vocal proponent of these reforms alongside other nations like Germany, which have implemented stricter border controls.

The designation was welcomed by Italy’s right-wing administration, with Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi celebrating the inclusion of nations like Bangladesh, Egypt, and Tunisia. However, it was noted that an Italian court previously halted attempts to detain migrants from these countries in Albania, indicating legal complexities surrounding the safety assessments of these nations.

Nevertheless, the push for an official EU list has raised alarms among human rights advocates. Organizations like EuroMed Rights cautioned that labeling these countries as safe is misleading and threatens both the rights of citizens and migrants. Lammert emphasized the importance of conducting individual assessments for each asylum case, ensuring that protections outlined under EU law are not compromised.

As these proposals advance, they must receive backing from both the European Parliament and relevant member states, suggesting an ongoing discourse about managing migration while upholding human rights standards.