EU Parliament Backs Safe Third Country Policy to Ease Asylum Applications
During a plenary session in Strasbourg, France, lawmakers approved the legislation with 396 votes in favor, 226 against, and 30 abstentions. The new rules allow EU member states to consider asylum applications inadmissible if applicants could have sought protection in another country.
The legislation also provides a framework for agreements with third countries to manage asylum requests. A third country may be deemed “safe” if the asylum seeker has familial, cultural, or linguistic ties there, or if they previously transited through the country and could have requested protection.
Agreements can be established at bilateral, multilateral, or EU-wide levels, requiring third countries to evaluate asylum claims on their merits, with unaccompanied minors exempted.
The law complements the EU’s existing list of safe countries of origin, which currently includes Bangladesh, Colombia, Egypt, Kosovo, India, Morocco, and Tunisia. Nationals from these countries can have their claims fast-tracked unless they demonstrate a well-founded fear of persecution or serious harm.
EU accession candidates are also presumed safe for their nationals unless exceptional circumstances, such as armed conflict or human rights abuses, apply. The European Commission will oversee conditions in listed countries and may remove a country from the list temporarily or permanently if circumstances change.
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