EUROPEAN COMMISSION ISSUES PROPOSED LIST OF SAFE COUNTRIES OF ORIGIN

BRUSSELS, April 16 (Bernama-dpa) – The European Commission has proposed the creation of an EU-wide list of safe countries of origin to accelerate asylum procedures across the European Union (EU), the German news agency (dpa) reported.

On Wednesday, the commission announced that asylum applications from nationals of Kosovo, Bangladesh, Colombia, Egypt, India, Morocco and Tunisia will be processed more swiftly.

The proposal still requires approval from both the European Parliament and EU member states.

Under the new plan, member states would also be allowed to designate countries of origin as safe earlier in the asylum process than currently permitted.

This would enable the use of fast-track procedures or border procedures for applicants from these countries.

The commission envisions this option in cases where the average recognition rate for asylum applications from a given country is 20 per cent or lower.

Many EU member states already maintain their own national lists of safe countries of origin.

The criteria for determining safe countries of origin are currently the subject of proceedings at the European Court of Justice, with a ruling expected in the coming months.

While an EU-wide list could further standardise procedures, it does not automatically mean more deportations. 

However, it may lead to shorter deadlines for appeals and follow-up actions after an asylum application is rejected, thereby speeding up case processing for applicants from listed countries.

The commission also announced that exceptions should be possible for countries declared safe – for example, for migrants from certain social groups or regions who may still face persecution.

The commission also stated that EU accession candidate countries also meet the criteria for designation as safe countries of origin. However, exceptions may still apply in individual cases.

-- BERNAMA-dpa