EU Names Seven Safe Countries to Tighten Asylum Rules

The European Commission has published a list of seven countries designated as 'safe countries of origin' in an effort to tighten asylum rules and expedite the return of migrants. The list aims to limit asylum possibilities for nationals from these countries, accelerating the processing of their applications. The countries included in the list are Kosovo, Bangladesh, Colombia, Egypt, India, Morocco, and Tunisia. The designation of these nations as safe is intended to facilitate faster decision-making on asylum applications, potentially reducing the processing time to as little as three months. This initiative is part of the European Union's broader strategy to manage migration more effectively by streamlining asylum procedures and addressing irregular migration. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni hailed the proposal, expressing satisfaction with the Commission's efforts to anticipate components of the EU's Migration and Asylum Pact.