The European Union unveiled plans on Tuesday to make it easier to send asylum seekers to third countries to which they have no connection, in the latest overhaul aimed at reducing migration to the bloc, intensifying the debate over migration policy and sparking criticism from rights groups.
The European Commission said it proposed broadening the so-called "safe third country" concept, which allows member states to "consider an asylum application inadmissible when applicants could receive effective protection" elsewhere.
The new proposal would expand this definition, giving governments greater flexibility in redirecting asylum seekers to safe non-EU nations.
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“EU countries have been facing substantial migratory pressure for over a decade,” said migration commissioner Magnus Brunner, describing the proposal as “another tool to help member states process asylum claims in a more efficient and coordinated way".
The move, while welcomed by some as a practical solution, has drawn sharp criticism from rights groups concerned about the implications for vulnerable individuals.
What constitutes a connection?
The suggested changes would lower the bar for what constitutes a “genuine connection” to a safe third country.
At present, applicants are generally required to have lived or worked or to have family ties in such a country.
Under the new framework, simply passing through a country deemed safe could be grounds for removal.
Furthermore, bilateral agreements between EU countries and third nations could allow removals even in the absence of any connection or transit, with appeal processes no longer halting deportations.
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The revised approach could dramatically increase the number of asylum claims deemed inadmissible, as many people arriving in Europe have travelled through several countries en route to the EU.
According to the EU’s Frontex border agency, of the nearly 20,000 people who crossed the Mediterranean to Europe in April alone, many originated from Bangladesh, Eritrea, Pakistan and Syria.
This latest move comes after EU leaders called in October for urgent new legislation to increase and speed up returns, and for the commission to assess "innovative" ways to counter irregular migration.
In response, Brussels in March unveiled a planned reform of the 27-nation bloc's return system, which opened the way for states to set up migrant return centres outside the EU.
And in April it published a list of countries of "origin" it considers "safe", making it harder for citizens of those nations to claim asylum by introducing a presumption that such applications lack merit.
Featured on that list are Morocco and Tunisia, which are among the main points of departure for migrants and asylum seekers crossing the Mediterranean by boat.
Source of tension
The debate around asylum and migration remains politically sensitive across the bloc – and beyond.
In France, the issue has become particularly charged, fuelling domestic political tensions and influencing relations with the United Kingdom.
The ongoing challenge of irregular Channel crossings has sparked repeated disputes between Paris and London, with both sides trading blame over how to curb people trafficking and improve border cooperation.
As right-wing political forces gain traction across Europe, asylum policy has become a lightning rod for wider questions of security, sovereignty and solidarity.
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Human rights concerns
The Commission’s proposal will need approval from both the European Parliament and member states before it can become law.
It also relies on the cooperation of third countries willing to take in applicants rejected by the EU.
Human rights advocates, however, have already sounded the alarm.
Estrella Galan, an EU lawmaker with the Left group, called the proposal "a lethal blow to the right to asylum".
"It seeks to legalise forced deportations to third countries where refugees have never been, and where they have neither ties nor any guarantee of protection," she said.
Sarah Chander, director of the Equinox Initiative for Racial Justice, accused the EU of “cynically distorting the concept of ‘safety’ to meet its own repressive ends”.
“It is paving the way for migrants to be removed and deported basically anywhere, putting people in danger,” she warned.
Nearly 1 million people applied for asylum in the EU last year and around 440,000 were granted protection.
(with newswires)
