New asylum rules in the EU: what will change for migrants
19 December 03:32
The European Union has agreed on new rules to simplify and speed up the return of rejected asylum seekers. A key element of the reform will be the creation of the first-ever joint list of so-called “safe countries of origin” in the EU. This is reported by the dpa agency with reference to agreements between the EU institutions, "Komersant Ukrainian" informs
What are “safe countries” according to EU rules?
“Safe” in the EU will be considered states where, in the opinion of European institutions, there are no systemic threats to life, freedoms and human rights. If a migrant comes from such a country, his or her asylum application
- will be considered under an accelerated procedure;
- is less likely to result in the granting of refugee status;
- in case of refusal, return to the country of origin will be faster.
In this way, the EU aims to reduce the burden on national migration services and shorten the time spent by illegal migrants in the Union.
Which countries are planned to be recognized as safe
The first pan-European list of “safe countries” is planned to include:
- Morocco
- Tunisia
- Egypt
- Kosovo
- Colombia
- India
- Bangladesh
In addition, countries that are candidates for EU membership will be automatically considered safe. Among them:
- Albania
- Montenegro
- Turkey
Will there be automatic deportations?
The European Parliament emphasizes that there will be no automatic deportations. Even after the list is approved, each case will continue to be considered individually.
At the same time, the procedure will become faster, and there will be fewer reasons to delay the process.
“The pan-European list may change depending on the situation in the world,” the European Parliament noted.
When a country can be removed from the list
The new rules provide for safeguards. If an armed conflict breaks out in a “safe” country:
- an armed conflict breaks out;
- the human rights situation deteriorates sharply;
- The EU imposes sanctions,
it may be temporarily or completely removed from the list. This will be controlled by the European Commission, which will have the right to quickly suspend the “safe” status.
When the new rules will come into effect
The agreement between the European Parliament and member states is expected to be formally approved in the near future. After that:
- the list will become mandatory for all EU countries;
- accelerated procedures will be applied throughout the Union;
- eU migration policy will become more unified.
The European Union calls these changes part of a broader reform of the migration and asylum system aimed at strengthening control and reducing illegal migration.
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