What are the EU’s 'safe country' proposals for asylum seekers?
The European Commission has put forward two plans to overhaul asylum processes amid a charged political atmosphere over irregular migration.
READ MORE : http://www.euronews.com/2025/05/27/what-are-the-eus-safe-country-proposals-for-asylum-seekers
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The European Commission has put forward two plans to overhaul asylum processes amid a charged political atmosphere over irregular migration.
READ MORE : http://www.euronews.com/2025/05/27/what-are-the-eus-safe-country-proposals-for-asylum-seekers
Subscribe to our channel. Euronews is available on Dailymotion in 12 languages
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00:00The EU is looking to move asylum processing and responsibilities beyond its borders.
00:08To this end, the Commission is working on two plans.
00:11Firstly, in April, it adopted a plan to designate so-called safe countries of origin
00:16to fast-track asylum applications from nationals of these countries
00:20so they could be returned more quickly.
00:22These include the EU candidate countries and seven others deemed safe.
00:27Last week, it proposed changing another concept, the so-called safe third countries,
00:32with an eye on relocating the processing of asylum claims.
00:36This would allow EU countries to reject an application
00:39and then forcibly send people to a country with which they have no connection.
00:43The third countries have not been named but should protect asylum seekers from persecution and serious harm,
00:49not deport asylum seekers and provide a functioning asylum system.
00:53The idea is to manage asylum applications more effectively.
00:56Well, the aim of both proposals is indeed to improve both the processing of asylum claims
01:05when they can be seen as manifestly unfounded for various reasons
01:09and at the same time make sure that those who do not have a right to stay within the European Union
01:14but are already in the European Union are effectively returned.
01:17So both share the aim of making the procedures both asylum and return more efficient, more effective,
01:24but of course also more implementable for the member states so that we can kind of bring back order and humanity
01:30to the common European asylum and migration policies.
01:33The Commission has repeatedly stressed this will accelerate asylum processes and reduce pressure on asylum systems
01:39while respecting fundamental rights.
01:41However, critics of the proposals have argued that they risk having the opposite effect,
01:45stating they raise ethical and legal questions.
01:48From a human rights perspective, the risks are already very clear.
01:52It's going to make it harder for people to access fair and full asylum procedures even if they have very real protection needs.
01:59It increases the risk of refoulement or people being sent back to danger and their ability is restricted to challenge that decision from Europe
02:07so they may be sent back to danger before their appeal has been heard.
02:10And lastly, it increases the risk of arbitrary automatic detention in third countries.
02:15You can already see with the EU's engagement with countries like Tunisia or Libya or Egypt
02:19that it has very little willingness or ability to monitor and enforce human rights in those partner countries.
02:24These new proposals are not yet set in stone.
02:27They will now be voted on by the European Parliament and the Council for approval.