The European Union is moving to speed up the deportation of migrants from Morocco, Tunisia, and Egypt by classifying these nations as “safe third countries.” This proposal, announced by the European Commission on Wednesday, would fast-track asylum claims from these countries to ease the burden on Europe’s overwhelmed migrant reception centers.
Alongside Morocco, Tunisia, and Egypt, the new list also includes Bangladesh, Colombia, India, and Kosovo. Citizens from these seven countries, who are unlikely to qualify for international protection, would see their asylum applications processed within three months instead of the usual six, according to the European Commission.
Last year alone, over 200,000 people from these countries applied for asylum in Europe. The EU’s executive body believes that streamlining the application process could allow for quicker decisions and more efficient returns of those whose claims are rejected.
EU Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner emphasized that while the process would be faster, applicants would still receive fair treatment. He said that each application would be assessed individually and that rejected applicants would retain the right to appeal through national courts.
“Many member states are facing a significant backlog of asylum applications, so anything we can do now to support faster asylum decisions is essential,” Brunner said.
This move comes as the EU attempts to address long-standing divisions over its migration policy. Although member states agreed last year on major reforms to overhaul the EU’s asylum system, those changes are not expected to take effect until June 2026. In the meantime, the Commission is under pressure to take steps that can be implemented more quickly.
The proposal will still need to be approved by the European Parliament and EU member countries before it can come into effect.
In addition to the seven nations marked as safe third countries, the Commission is also pushing for fast-track processing of asylum claims from people coming from countries with low approval rates — typically where 20% or fewer applicants are granted protection. The countries currently bidding to join the EU, such as Albania, Bosnia, Georgia, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Turkey, are also included in this plan.
The Commission noted that the so-called recognition rate — the percentage of successful asylum claims — for the seven countries now labeled as safe stands at just 5% or less, further justifying the need for a swifter and more decisive process.
Why is the EU speeding up deportations from countries like Morocco, Tunisia, and Egypt?
The EU wants to ease pressure on overcrowded migrant reception centers by quickly processing and returning asylum seekers from countries where applicants are unlikely to qualify for protection, due to low recognition rates.