EU Eyes Deporting Asylum Seekers to Third Countries

The European Union’s executive branch proposed a revision to existing EU laws on Tuesday, aiming to permit member states to deport rejected asylum seekers to nations with which they have no prior connections. This initiative has drawn criticism from human rights organizations, who argue it jeopardizes the right to seek asylum.

According to the European Commission, these amendments would enable countries to remove asylum applicants by sending them to a third country that is deemed safe by the EU, which is expected to “streamline the asylum process and alleviate pressure on national systems.”

This proposal would eliminate the requirement that asylum seekers must have a prior link to the safe third country.

“The updated Safe Third Country framework provides another mechanism for member states to handle asylum claims more effectively while upholding the EU’s values and fundamental rights,” remarked Magnus Brunner, the EU’s Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration.

Since over a million individuals, primarily Syrian refugees, arrived via the Mediterranean in 2015, anti-immigration sentiments have surged throughout the 27-member EU, which found itself unprepared to manage the influx.

Due to disagreements on how to share the responsibility, EU countries have largely concentrated on returning migrants and minimizing arrivals.

The new amendments also dictate that if asylum seekers contest the denial of their applications, they cannot automatically stay within EU borders during the appeals process.

Amnesty International strongly condemned the proposed changes.

Olivia Sundberg Diez, Amnesty’s EU Advocate on Migration and Asylum, stated, “This revision will only serve to further diminish access to asylum in Europe, reduce individuals’ rights, and heighten the chances of refoulement and arbitrary detention in third countries — particularly given the EU’s apparent inability to monitor and uphold human rights in its partner nations.”

This proposal is part of the EU migration pact approved in 2023 and is expected to take effect in 2026, but it still requires the backing of the European Parliament and EU member states.

In April, the EU Commission included nations like Egypt and Tunisia — countries that have faced scrutiny for their human rights practices — on a list of “safe countries” for returning unsuccessful asylum seekers.

Just a month earlier, the Commission suggested that member states could establish centers in non-EU countries where migrants whose asylum claims were denied would await deportation.