The European Union has published a list of seven countries considered ‘safe,’ making it harder for citizens to claim asylum in the bloc, as part of efforts to speed up migrant returns and reduce backlog.
The European Union has published a list of seven countries that it considers ‘safe,’ making it harder for citizens of those nations to claim asylum in the bloc. The list includes Kosovo, ‘it’s not clear what makes them safe’ , Bangladesh, Colombia, Egypt, India, Morocco, and Tunisia.
The European Union's (EU) Safe Country List is a list of countries whose nationals are considered to be safe in terms of asylum and refugee claims.
The list was introduced by the Dublin Regulation, which aims to determine the member state responsible for examining an asylum application.
As of 2022, there are 12 countries on the list: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Ukraine, Uruguay, and Australia.
These countries have been deemed safe due to their human rights records, democratic governance, and cooperation with EU asylum policies.
Citizens of these countries will face more challenges when trying to seek asylum in the EU. This change is aimed at speeding up migrant returns and reducing the backlog of asylum applications faced by member states.
Many member states are struggling with a significant increase in asylum applications, and this new regulation is seen as an effort to support faster asylum decisions. The European Commission’s commissioner for migration, Magnus Brunner, stated that ‘anything we can do now to support faster asylum decisions is essential’.
The European Union (EU) Migration Commissioner is responsible for overseeing migration policies within the EU.
This includes managing asylum applications, coordinating migration policies among member states, and ensuring compliance with EU laws.
The Commissioner works closely with national governments to address migration challenges such as human trafficking, smuggling, and irregular migration.
According to the European Commission's 2020 report, over 1 million migrants applied for asylum in the EU that year.
The Commissioner plays a crucial role in balancing member states' sovereignty with the need for unified EU policies on migration.
The revised regulation is the result of efforts by the Italian government, which has been working at both a bilateral and multilateral level to obtain its revision. Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi described the change as a success for his country.
As the situation continues to develop, it’s clear that this new rule will have significant implications for those seeking asylum in the EU. The European Union’s efforts to streamline its asylum process come at a time when many member states are facing challenges in managing the influx of migrants.
The European Union's (EU) asylum process is governed by the Dublin Regulation, which determines the member state responsible for examining an asylum application.
The regulation prioritizes the country where the applicant first entered the EU.
Applicants must register with the relevant authorities and provide biometric data.
Interviews are conducted to assess their claims, and decisions are made based on international protection needs.
The process typically takes several months to a year or more.
Statistics show that in 2020, over 112,000 asylum applications were submitted to EU member states.
