EU Publishes List of Seven 'Safe' Countries

The European Union has published a list of seven countries it considers 'safe,' aiming to expedite the return of migrants by making it more difficult for citizens of those nations to seek asylum in the EU. This was reported by the AFP agency.

The European Commission proposes to include Kosovo, Bangladesh, Colombia, Egypt, India, Morocco, and Tunisia in the list of 'safe countries of origin.' This move intends to enable EU governments to process asylum applications from citizens of these countries more quickly, suggesting that such applications may be unfounded.

'Many member states are facing significant delays in processing asylum applications, so what we can do now to expedite decisions on asylum is crucial,' said EU Commissioner for Migration Magnus Brunner.

Candidate countries for EU membership will also generally meet the criteria for classification as safe countries, except in cases where they are affected by conflict, the Commission stated. The EU had previously presented a similar list in 2015, but that initiative was canceled amid heated discussions over whether to include or exclude Turkey.

Brussels has come under pressure to limit the number of illegal arrivals and facilitate expulsions after a surge in public sentiment regarding migration led to far-right victories in elections in several countries.

EU leaders called in October for urgent new legislation to enhance returns and speed up the return process, while the European Commission was asked to assess 'innovative' ways to combat illegal migration.

In response, the European Commission unveiled last month a planned reform of the migrant return system involving 27 countries in the bloc, paving the way for member states to establish return centers for migrants outside the EU. Currently, less than 20% of those who receive expulsion orders return to their countries of origin.