In recent months, European Union institutions have approved two complementary measures to the migration pact aimed at standardizing and accelerating asylum decisions across member states. The first is a new EU-wide list of safe countries of origin, which includes countries such as Bangladesh, Egypt, and Tunisia. The second is a revision of the “safe third country” concept. Both initiatives have sparked debate among Polish Members of the European Parliament.
“We have safe countries of origin, meaning the countries from which migrants applying for international protection come. We also have the concept of a safe third country, meaning a country through which a migrant travels before reaching the European Union. When a migrant applies for international protection, the EU examines whether they come from a safe country or whether they passed through a safe third country. Depending on this, they may be returned either to their country of origin or to a safe third country, as defined in detail in the regulation,” explained Michał Wawrykiewicz, a Member of the European Parliament from the Civic Coalition and the European People’s Party, in an interview with Newseria.
The EU’s list of safe countries of origin includes Bangladesh, Colombia, Egypt, India, Kosovo, Morocco, and Tunisia. This common list is intended to accelerate the processing of asylum applications submitted by citizens of these countries. As a general rule, such applications are unlikely to be approved. Under the new regulations, the burden of proof will lie with the applicant to demonstrate that the general assumption should not apply in their case—for example, due to a well-founded fear of persecution or a risk of serious harm if returned to their home country.
According to data from the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA), applications submitted by citizens of these seven countries accounted for 16% of all asylum applications last year. Recognition rates in EU+ countries (the 27 EU member states plus Norway and Switzerland) ranged from 2% to 6% for these groups.
Candidate countries for EU membership may generally be classified as safe countries of origin, unless there is an ongoing armed conflict or serious human rights violations on their territory. The EU may also exclude such countries from the list if restrictive measures have been imposed on them in relation to fundamental rights and freedoms.
The EU list sets a minimum common standard, which individual member states are allowed to expand.
“Migration policy is not an exclusive competence of either individual member states or the European Union. On the one hand, EU-level regulations are necessary to coordinate asylum policy and streamline procedures. On the other hand, creating national lists of safe countries is fully justified, as it reflects specific circumstances in individual member states,” said Michał Wawrykiewicz. “At the same time, member states remain subject to EU law. If these rules are violated, there are enforcement mechanisms at the EU level, including actions by the European Commission and the Court of Justice of the European Union.”
The concept of a safe third country allows EU member states to reject an asylum application as inadmissible if the applicant could obtain international protection in another non-EU country considered safe for them. This principle may be applied if one of three conditions is met: a connection between the applicant and the third country, transit through a safe country before reaching the EU, or the existence of an agreement between a member state and a third country.
“Of course, the regulation is not entirely straightforward—each application for international protection is assessed individually. However, the criteria outlined in the regulation forming part of the migration pact allow for returning an applicant to a safe third country through which they traveled,” the MEP added.
However, not all policymakers agree with the new approach.
“Until now, the European Union created lists of safe countries to which individuals illegally staying in the EU could be deported. These were typically countries that respected democracy and human rights, where dissidents or journalists were not at risk,” said Robert Biedroń, a Member of the European Parliament from the New Left and the Socialists & Democrats group. “Unfortunately, the list has now been expanded to include countries where journalists and human rights defenders are persecuted. The EU will be able to deport people to places where they may face danger. This sets a very bad precedent that threatens not only those individuals but also the credibility of the Union.”
According to data from the EU Agency for Asylum, EU+ countries received approximately 822,000 applications for international protection in 2025, representing a 19% decrease compared to 2024. The agency attributes this decline mainly to a drop in applications from Syrians, as well as citizens of Bangladesh and Turkey. At the same time, there was an increase in applications from Afghan nationals—primarily women already residing in EU+ countries—and from Venezuelans, due to escalating tensions in their home country.
Germany, France, Spain, Italy, and Greece remain the primary destinations for asylum seekers, collectively accounting for around 80% of all applications.
