European Commission accelerates asylum claim processing by introducing a unified safe countries list to ease growing backlog across Member States.
Brussels, April 16: The European Commission has proposed expediting certain provisions of the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, including the creation of the bloc’s first common list of safe countries of origin—a key reform aimed at fast-tracking asylum claims and addressing rising backlogs across Member States.
In an official release on Wednesday, the Commission stated that the new measures will frontload key elements of the Asylum Procedure Regulation, allowing EU nations to process applications faster, especially those deemed likely to be unfounded.
The first proposed EU-wide safe countries list includes India, Bangladesh, Kosovo, Colombia, Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia—nations from which asylum applications are less likely to be accepted. Nationals from these countries would have their claims handled under accelerated or border procedures.
“An EU list will complement national lists and support more uniform implementation,” the Commission explained. “This will allow claims from these countries to be processed faster while maintaining each applicant’s right to a full, individual assessment.”
Magnus Brunner, Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration, stressed the urgency of the reforms:
“We have a little over a year before the Migration Pact enters full application, but where we can go faster, we should. Many Member States are dealing with serious backlogs. The safe country of origin principle can help reduce pressure while maintaining legal safeguards.”
Currently, individual Member States maintain separate national lists, resulting in inconsistent asylum practices across the EU. The proposed centralized EU list aims to streamline and harmonize procedures, reduce misuse of the asylum system, and ease burdens on frontline countries.
The broader Migration and Asylum Pact is scheduled to come into full force by June 2026, but the Commission’s latest proposal could help mitigate migration pressures sooner, especially amid ongoing geopolitical and humanitarian crises.