Commission welcomes political agreement on first EU list of safe countries of origin and new rules to facilitate the application of the safe third country concept

On 18 December, the European Commission welcomed the provisional political agreement reached between the European Parliament and the Council on new rules that will facilitate Member States’ application of the safe third country concept and on the establishment of an EU list of safe countries of origin.  

The safe third country concept allows Member States to consider an asylum application inadmissible when applicants could receive effective protection in a third country that is considered safe for them. The new rules on the application of the safe third country concept will help Member States process asylum applications more swiftly, reduce pressure on asylum systems, and reduce incentives for illegal migration to the EU, while preserving the legal safeguards for applicants and ensuring respect of fundamental rights.  

The EU list of safe countries of origin will allow Member States to pursue a more uniform approach to applications of nationals from countries on the EU list whose asylum claims are likely to be unfounded. Under the new procedure, Member States will be able to process such asylum claims faster and more efficiently. The EU list of safe countries of origin includes EU candidate countries considered to meet the criteria to be designated as safe countries of origin as part of their EU membership path, as well as Kosovo, Bangladesh, Colombia, Egypt, India, Morocco and Tunisia. 

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Press Release - New rules to facilitate the application of the safe third country concept