The European Commission is preparing to officially propose a list of seven “safe third countries” where EU member states can return asylum seekers, according to a leaked document obtained by Euractiv. This move is part of the bloc’s broader strategy to manage migration more effectively under its revised asylum policies.
The countries included in the draft list are Bangladesh, Colombia, Egypt, India, Kosovo, Morocco, and Tunisia. These nations are being classified as “safe third countries of origin,” meaning they are deemed capable of offering adequate protection to asylum seekers sent back from the EU.
The decision forms part of a wider review of the safe third country concept in EU asylum law, which allows EU states to redirect asylum seekers to non-EU countries considered safe, rather than processing their claims internally. This mechanism is seen by EU officials as a way to streamline procedures and reduce pressure on asylum systems across Europe.
According to Euractiv, the proposed list will be introduced as an amendment to the EU Asylum Procedure Regulation, which is a central element of the EU Migration Pact adopted in 2023. The updated regulation, including the safe countries list, is expected to come into effect in 2026, pending approval by the European Parliament and Council.
In March 2025, the Commission also put forward new binding rules on migrant returns, aimed at increasing efficiency and consistency across member states. The addition of the safe third countries list is expected to reinforce these efforts and provide clearer legal grounds for rejecting or redirecting certain asylum applications.
The final version of the list is scheduled to be officially published before June 2025. If adopted, it could have significant implications for migration flows into the EU and for the diplomatic relations between the bloc and the listed countries, many of which are key transit or origin nations in global migration routes.
Critics, however, warn that the safety and human rights conditions in some of the proposed countries vary widely and may not guarantee the level of protection EU asylum law requires. Human rights organizations are expected to closely scrutinize the criteria used by the Commission in selecting these countries.
This proposed shift reflects the EU’s growing focus on externalizing aspects of migration control while seeking to balance humanitarian responsibilities with political and social pressures within member states.