Parliament and Council negotiators have reached a political agreement to establish the first European Union-wide list of safe countries of origin, aiming to speed up the processing of asylum claims.
The informal deal, concluded on Thursday by Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) and the Council, will create an EU-wide list as proposed by the European Commission. The initial list includes Bangladesh, Colombia, Egypt, Kosovo, India, Morocco, and Tunisia. Asylum requests from nationals of these countries will be processed more quickly. Applicants from these nations must provide evidence if they believe their cases should not be subject to this fast-track process.
The designation of a third country as a safe country of origin at the EU level will follow criteria set out in the Asylum Procedure Regulation and newly agreed amendments. The list may be expanded in the future through the ordinary legislative procedure.
EU accession candidate countries will also be considered safe countries of origin unless specific circumstances—such as widespread violence or an EU-wide asylum recognition rate above 20%—suggest otherwise. Economic sanctions due to actions affecting fundamental rights and freedoms are also grounds for exclusion. In such cases, the Commission is required to keep the European Parliament informed.
The Commission will monitor listed countries and candidate countries for changes in conditions that could affect their status. It may temporarily suspend a country’s designation as safe if necessary; this suspension could apply only to certain regions or groups within a country depending on where problems arise.
Member states can still designate additional safe countries at national level except those suspended by the EU. If there is a judicial review at national level regarding these designations, it should focus on assessing each applicant’s individual situation. The text clarifies that under EU Treaties, only the European Court of Justice can rule on whether a third country’s designation as safe at Union level is valid.
Some provisions may come into effect before full implementation of new EU asylum legislation in June 2026. For example, member states may start using accelerated border procedures for applicants from countries with an asylum recognition rate below 20% once these rules enter into force. The broader Asylum Procedure Regulation adopted in May 2024 is scheduled for full application starting June 12, 2026.
Rapporteur Alessandro Ciriani (ECR, Italy) stated: “Today’s agreement confirms a turning point in the EU’s management of migration. This is a concrete achievement that will equip the Union with clear and binding tools to address migratory flows and pressures. The approved list – which includes, in addition to EU candidate countries, Tunisia, Egypt, India, Colombia, Bangladesh, Morocco and Kosovo – is not just a bureaucratic step, it is a practical instrument to speed up procedures, focus resources on those entitled to protection, and reduce the abuses that burden national systems. It is also a political response to excessive interpretative uncertainty that in the past has paralysed national measures essential for border control. We are sending a clear message: Europe wants enforceable rules and shared responsibility. Now this commitment must become operational: effective returns, structured cooperation with third countries, and real measures to support EU member states.”
The agreement must still receive formal approval from both Parliament and Council before it becomes law.
