EU Proposes Kosovo, Morocco, and Tunisia as Safe Third Countries

The European Commission has proposed that Kosovo, Bangladesh, Colombia, Egypt, India, Morocco, and Tunisia be designated as safe third countries across the EU. This initial list is intended to expedite asylum procedures, as applications from these nations typically have low chances of being granted. National lists of safe countries will continue to be in effect alongside this EU-wide classification.

Several EU member states already maintain their own national lists of safe countries. The introduction of a mandatory EU list aims to enhance consistency in asylum processing. For instance, Austria's national list includes Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Mongolia, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, Ghana, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Georgia, Armenia, Benin, Senegal, Namibia, South Korea, and Uruguay as safe third countries for asylum seekers.

As part of the reforms linked to the EU Asylum and Migration Pact, the Commission plans to accelerate the processing of applications from claimants whose requests are likely to be unfounded. Specifically, asylum applications from individuals hailing from the identified safe countries would be processed faster, with a maximum duration of three months, compared to the usual six months.

The rationale behind this proposal is that asylum requests from these designated nations tend to have minimal likelihood of approval. Nevertheless, member states are still required to assess each application individually, regardless of the applicant's country of origin. The classification of a country as a safe third country does not ensure that every citizen of that nation is safe.

Moreover, the Commission underscored that EU candidate countries generally meet the criteria for classification as safe countries. However, exceptions exist, particularly in circumstances involving war or arbitrary violence, as seen in ongoing conflicts, such as the situation in Ukraine, or if sanctions have been imposed by the Council of EU member states.

This list was compiled following an analysis conducted by the EU's asylum agency, supplemented by information from member states, the UNHCR, and the European External Action Service. The EU list is subject to review and can be modified. However, a timeline for potential expansions of the list has not yet been established, as it will undergo continuous evaluation. Criteria for this evaluation include the number of arrivals from these countries and the acceptance rates of asylum requests.

Additionally, member states may apply expedited border procedures for individuals from countries where an average of 20% or fewer applicants are granted international protection within the EU. This proposal requires approval from the EU Parliament and the Council of member states. The aim of the EU asylum system reform is to implement stricter regulations to curb irregular migration.

EU Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner emphasized that the proposed classification of safe third countries will help streamline national asylum procedures. He acknowledged that many member states are facing significant backlogs in processing asylum requests, thus underscoring the importance of initiatives that can facilitate quicker asylum decisions.