EU moves to speed up asylum rejections with new legislation
These moves form part of the EU’s 2024 Pact on Migration and Asylum, focusing on reforms to the “safe third country” principle and introducing the bloc’s first EU-wide list of “safe countries of origin.”
Under the revised safe third country framework, member states would have greater flexibility to reject asylum claims without assessing their merits. The rules introduce three pathways for applying this concept: no connection required between the applicant and the third country; consideration of prior transit through a third country before reaching the EU; and agreements ensuring the asylum claim is handled in a designated safe third country (excluding unaccompanied minors). Applicants contesting inadmissibility decisions would lose the automatic right to stay in the EU during appeals but may request judicial permission.
Danish Immigration Minister Rasmus Stoklund praised the Council’s approach, stating it addresses “harmful incentives” in the current system. He explained, “We have a very high influx of irregular migrants, and our European countries are under pressure… I am happy that we have agreed on a general approach which allows member states to make agreements with safe third countries on asylum procession outside Europe.”
In parallel, the Council endorsed the first EU-level list of safe countries of origin, aimed at accelerating procedures for applicants considered at low risk of persecution. The list includes Bangladesh, Colombia, Egypt, Morocco, Kosovo, India, and Tunisia. Applicants from these countries may undergo fast-track procedures at borders or transit zones. Accession candidate countries are also treated as safe unless affected by armed conflict, restrictive measures on fundamental rights, or recognition rates exceeding 20% in EU asylum decisions.
Stoklund described the list as “an important milestone” in EU asylum policy, noting, “Each year, tens of thousands arrive to Europe and apply for asylum even though they depart from safe countries where there is generally no risk of persecution.”
With the Council’s positions now set, negotiations with the European Parliament will begin to finalize the legislation. The European Commission had proposed these measures earlier than initially scheduled, following pressure from member states seeking faster implementation of migration reforms originally planned for mid-2026. The Council’s stance also allows the Commission to suspend a country’s designation if conditions worsen, while member states may maintain national lists including countries outside the EU-wide framework.
The Council of the European Union has approved its negotiating stance on two key legislative measures designed to streamline the bloc’s asylum system, enabling faster rejection of applications deemed unlikely to qualify for protection, according to reports.
These moves form part of the EU’s 2024 Pact on Migration and Asylum, focusing on reforms to the “safe third country” principle and introducing the bloc’s first EU-wide list of “safe countries of origin.”
Under the revised safe third country framework, member states would have greater flexibility to reject asylum claims without assessing their merits. The rules introduce three pathways for applying this concept: no connection required between the applicant and the third country; consideration of prior transit through a third country before reaching the EU; and agreements ensuring the asylum claim is handled in a designated safe third country (excluding unaccompanied minors). Applicants contesting inadmissibility decisions would lose the automatic right to stay in the EU during appeals but may request judicial permission.
Danish Immigration Minister Rasmus Stoklund praised the Council’s approach, stating it addresses “harmful incentives” in the current system. He explained, “We have a very high influx of irregular migrants, and our European countries are under pressure… I am happy that we have agreed on a general approach which allows member states to make agreements with safe third countries on asylum procession outside Europe.”
In parallel, the Council endorsed the first EU-level list of safe countries of origin, aimed at accelerating procedures for applicants considered at low risk of persecution. The list includes Bangladesh, Colombia, Egypt, Morocco, Kosovo, India, and Tunisia. Applicants from these countries may undergo fast-track procedures at borders or transit zones. Accession candidate countries are also treated as safe unless affected by armed conflict, restrictive measures on fundamental rights, or recognition rates exceeding 20% in EU asylum decisions.
Stoklund described the list as “an important milestone” in EU asylum policy, noting, “Each year, tens of thousands arrive to Europe and apply for asylum even though they depart from safe countries where there is generally no risk of persecution.”
With the Council’s positions now set, negotiations with the European Parliament will begin to finalize the legislation. The European Commission had proposed these measures earlier than initially scheduled, following pressure from member states seeking faster implementation of migration reforms originally planned for mid-2026. The Council’s stance also allows the Commission to suspend a country’s designation if conditions worsen, while member states may maintain national lists including countries outside the EU-wide framework.
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