The European Parliament approved two amendments on asylum: the creation of a list of “safe countries of origin” for the entire European Union and the regulation defining what constitutes a “safe third country.”
The regulations have not yet been formally approved by the Council of the EU; this will be the next institutional step.
Under the first, asylum seekers themselves will have to prove that they face a risk if returned to their country.
Countries that are candidates for accession to the EU will, in principle, also be considered safe, unless specific circumstances apply, such as widespread armed violence or a high recognition rate of asylum at Union level, according to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency (ANA-MPA).
The list of “safe countries” includes Bangladesh, Colombia, Egypt, Kosovo, India, Morocco and Tunisia.
Under the second, member states will be able to reject asylum applications when there is a substantial connection between the applicant and the third country (e.g. previous residence) or when the applicant arrived in the EU via a third country where protection could have been sought.
In addition, the application of this concept is also foreseen within the framework of bilateral or multilateral agreements of the EU or its member states with third countries for the reception of asylum seekers, provided that those countries commit to examining the substance of each protection request.
The list of “safe countries” includes Bangladesh, Colombia, Egypt, Kosovo, India, Morocco and Tunisia.
Source: ΑΠΕ-ΜΠΕ
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