The Council of the European Union on Monday included Kosovo on the list of safe countries of origin, in an effort to accelerate the return of migrants, making it more difficult for citizens from these countries to seek asylum in the EU.
The bloc hopes that these legal acts will strengthen the practical implementation of the key concepts of safe countries in EU asylum legislation, which aim to establish faster and more effective asylum procedures for those who should not receive protection within the EU.
Along with Kosovo, Bangladesh, Colombia, Egypt, India, Morocco and Tunisia have also been added to the list of safe countries of origin.
It now remains for the Council to reach agreement with the European Parliament on the final legal text relating to these two acts.
"Today, we agreed on the first ever EU list of safe countries of origin, which will help create faster and more efficient asylum procedures, as well as the return of those who do not need protection. An important moment for EU asylum policy," said Danish Minister for Immigration and Integration, Rasmus Stoklund.
This means that asylum seekers who go to the EU from these seven countries could easily face having their applications rejected and being ordered to return.
According to the Council, every year tens of thousands of people arrive in Europe and seek asylum even though they are fleeing safe countries where there is usually no risk of persecution.
The number of asylum seekers from Kosovo in the EU has increased following visa liberalization on January 1, 2024.
There were more asylum requests only in 2015/2016 when tens of thousands of Kosovars migrated to the EU through illegal routes from Hungary.
France has been the main destination for Kosovars seeking asylum in the EU since 2018, when it first replaced Germany as the main destination.
According to the 2024 Asylum Procedure Regulation, adopted as part of the Pact on Asylum and Migration, member states must implement an accelerated procedure for applicants from a safe country of origin and may carry it out at the border or in transit zones.
The rules on safe countries of origin are based on the premise that applicants from these countries are supposed to have sufficient protection against the risk of persecution or serious violations of their fundamental rights.
The European Commission presented these two new legal acts earlier this year. /REL/
