EU approves list of safe third countries – migrants to be rejected faster

This week, the EU approved the new regulation on immigration procedures and the list of so-called safe third countries. It constitutes a major victory for Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and opens up for the country to fully activate the reception center established in Albania.

According to Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, who was in Brussels for the meeting with the Council for Justice and Home Affairs, the approval of the list is an important condition for the Italian government to proceed with the ratification of agreements that enable full operation of migrant centers on Albanian territory.

The countries now classified as safe are Bangladesh, Colombia, Egypt, India, Kosovo, Morocco, and Tunisia. The decision means that asylum seekers from these countries will be subject to expedited processes, which, except in special cases, end in rejection. If migrants have passed through a safe third country, their application may also be considered in that country.

EU candidate countries Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, North Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, and Turkey are also designated as safe countries of origin at the EU level, unless there is a situation of international or internal armed conflict in the country or restrictive measures affecting fundamental rights and freedoms have been adopted.

The regulation allows EU member states to reject an asylum application when the migrant in question has had the opportunity to seek protection in another safe country before entering the EU. A country is considered safe when the percentage of asylum approvals for its citizens is less than 20 percent, there is a connection between the immigrant and the third country, the immigrant has passed through that country, or there is an agreement between the EU and the third country for the review of applications.

The decision benefits Italy as most of the newly arrived migrants to the country’s coasts come from Bangladesh, Egypt, and Tunisia. However, unaccompanied minors are not covered by the new rules.

Doctors Without Borders is one of many non-governmental organizations assisting illegal immigrants. Photo: © European Union, 2025, CC BY 4.0

Satisfied Commissioner

EU Commissioner for Migration, Magnus Brunner, says that there is now a legal basis for “new and innovative” ideas to manage migration flows and mentions countries already negotiating agreements, such as the Netherlands with Uganda and Italy with Albania.

“It would be positive if several countries joined forces,” he says, emphasizing that the final decision-making lies with the member states and third countries.

Member states must implement the new rules by June 2026 at the latest.

Sweden pays

For Sweden’s part, they will not accept any more migrants but will instead contribute to a so-called solidarity pool. This amounts to over 100 million SEK.

“It is very important, both to reduce asylum immigration and also to reduce the deaths in the Mediterranean that we unfortunately see today,” says Minister for Migration Johan Forssell (M).