Italy has welcomed a new move by the European Union to tighten asylum rules by labeling more countries as “safe.” Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi described the decision as a victory for Rome, which has long pushed for tougher restrictions on irregular migration.
On Wednesday, the European Commission proposed designating Bangladesh, Egypt, Tunisia, Colombia, India, Morocco, and Kosovo as safe countries. This classification makes it more difficult for citizens from these nations to seek asylum within the EU, as their home countries are deemed safe enough not to warrant international protection.
Piantedosi said Italy has been actively working on this issue at both bilateral and multilateral levels, calling the EU’s decision “a success for the Italian government.” The move is expected to support Italy’s efforts to reduce irregular arrivals, especially as the country continues to face legal challenges to its own migration policies.
Italy’s right-wing government, led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, has made cutting illegal migration a top priority. One of its key initiatives was a controversial plan to detain migrants in processing centers in Albania while their asylum claims were reviewed. However, the scheme has been delayed by a series of legal setbacks.
Italian judges have so far refused to approve the detention of migrants in Albania, instead ordering that they be transferred to Italy. One of the key obstacles was the lack of a clear EU definition of which countries could be considered safe for repatriation.
To overcome this, the Italian government made two attempts to update its own national list of safe countries. However, these efforts have faced legal resistance and questions from the judiciary, leading to referrals to the European Court of Justice, which has yet to deliver a final ruling.
The new EU proposal is seen as a way to resolve these legal uncertainties. According to Piantedosi, it paves the way for “fast-track” procedures at the border, including those used in Albania. Under the new rules, migrants from countries with an asylum acceptance rate below 20 percent could be subject to quicker processing and deportation.
How does the EU’s safe country list help Italy manage migration?
The EU’s move gives Italy a legal basis to fast-track asylum claims and detain migrants from listed countries in offshore centers like those in Albania, easing the return process and reducing pressure on Italy’s asylum system.