EU Presents List of Safe Countries to Streamline Asylum System

(MENAFN) In an effort to enhance efficiency across the European Union’s asylum framework, the European Commission on Wednesday unveiled the first standardized list of safe countries of origin for asylum requests.

This initiative is designed to simplify the bloc’s asylum evaluation procedures and alleviate strain on national systems.

The suggested list features Kosovo, Bangladesh, Colombia, Egypt, India, Morocco, as well as Tunisia.

Based on an official statement from the Commission, this collective list is meant to supplement the current national rosters upheld by individual EU countries.

Its goal is to facilitate expedited assessments for applicants originating from these nations.

“The EU list of safe countries of origin can be expanded or reviewed over time,” the statement said. “Countries can also be suspended or removed from the list, should they no longer fulfil the criteria for being designated as a safe country of origin.”

This indicates that the list remains adaptable and subject to change depending on evolving conditions in the included countries.

The Commission highlighted that countries holding EU candidate status typically align with the requirements for being labeled safe.

Nonetheless, certain exceptions could arise—for instance, if the asylum acceptance rate across the EU surpasses 20 percent for a particular country or if the country is affected by widespread violence stemming from conflict.

This proposal stems from a comprehensive evaluation by the EU Agency for Asylum and incorporates statistics from EU member states and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), as stated by the Commission.

Additionally, to promote quicker and more effective asylum handling, the Commission introduced measures to prioritize two crucial aspects of the Asylum Procedure Regulation.

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