Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

India, Bangladesh on EU list of 'safe' countries for faster asylum processing

The aim is to allow EU governments to process asylum applications from citizens of these countries more quickly, by assuming such claims generally lack merit.

EU-Getty

Several EU countries already have their own national lists of safe countries. (Photo: Getty Images)

INDIA and Bangladesh are among seven countries the European Union has included on a new list of "safe" countries of origin, part of a move to tighten asylum rules and speed up migrant returns.

The list, published on Wednesday, also includes Kosovo, Colombia, Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia. It still needs to be approved by the European Parliament and member states before coming into effect.


The aim is to allow EU governments to process asylum applications from citizens of these countries more quickly, by assuming such claims generally lack merit.

"Many member states are facing a significant backlog of asylum applications, so anything we can do now to support faster asylum decisions is essential," said Magnus Brunner, the EU's commissioner for migration.

The European Commission has faced pressure to reduce irregular arrivals and increase deportations, amid growing public concern over migration and electoral gains by right-wing parties in several countries.

The commission said EU candidate countries would in principle qualify as safe but could be excluded if affected by conflict. Ukraine, for example, would not be on the list due to the ongoing war.

The EU had attempted a similar list in 2015, but the plan was dropped after disagreement over including Turkey, which is also a candidate for EU membership.

The latest list may be revised over time. It is based on countries from which large numbers of asylum seekers currently apply, the commission said.

Several EU countries already have their own national lists of safe countries. France, for example, includes Mongolia, Serbia and Cape Verde on its list.

The EU initiative is intended to harmonise rules across the bloc and establish a shared baseline. Member states can add countries to the EU list but not remove any.

Asylum claims will still be considered individually, with existing protections in place to avoid outright rejection, the commission said.

Concerns from rights groups

Rights groups have criticised the plan, particularly the inclusion of countries such as Tunisia and Egypt, which have been accused of human rights violations.

"Anyone who applies for protection in the EU should have their individual claim assessed fully and on its own merits — regardless of where they are fleeing from," said Meron Ameha Knikman of the International Rescue Committee.

She called the plan "part of a broader trend towards deterrence and hollowing out refugee rights".

The commission noted that Tunisia has arrested political figures, lawyers, judges and journalists, and that Egypt has detained opposition activists and rights defenders. However, it said the general population in these countries did not face persecution or serious harm.

"This is a flagrant violation of a fundamental human right, the right to asylum, as an individual right," the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights told AFP.

Frontex, the EU’s border agency, said irregular border crossings into the bloc dropped 38 percent to 239,000 last year after peaking in 2023.

In October, EU leaders including those from Italy, Denmark and the Netherlands called for urgent reforms to speed up returns and explore new ways to address irregular migration.

Fewer than 20 percent of people ordered to leave the EU are currently returned to their home countries, according to EU data.

Last month, the commission proposed reforms that would allow member states to set up migrant return centres outside the EU.

Italy's Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi welcomed the new list on Wednesday, calling it "a success for the Italian government".

(With inputs from AFP)

More For You

pashupatinath temple nepal

A general view of the Pashupatinath temple complex in Kathmandu on August 27, 2025.

Getty Images

Nepal court allows unclothed Hindu ascetics to enter Pashupatinath temple

NEPAL’s Supreme Court has ruled that Hindu holy men who follow the tradition of remaining unclothed cannot be barred from entering the Pashupatinath temple. The court said that nudity, when practised as a religious custom, is not the same as obscenity.

The ruling concerns the Naga sadhus, ascetics devoted to Lord Shiva who renounce family ties and worldly possessions, including clothing. Covered in ash and wearing dreadlocks, they are a familiar sight at the temple during major festivals.

Keep ReadingShow less
H1B programme

US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick said the administration plans to change the H1B programme, widely used by Indian IT professionals, as well as the Green Card process. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Trump team plans changes to student visas, H1B programme and Green Card process

Highlights:

  • DHS proposes new rules to limit stay for foreign students and media personnel in the US
  • F visa “duration of status” system could be replaced with fixed terms
  • Trump team plans changes to H1B and Green Card processes
  • Proposal comes amid US-India tensions over tariffs on Russian oil

THE TRUMP administration has proposed new rules to limit how long foreign students and media personnel can stay in the United States.

Keep ReadingShow less
Modi Vantara

Inaugurated last year by prime minister Narendra Modi, the sanctuary reportedly houses over 10,000 animals from 330 species, including tigers, elephants, Komodo dragons, and giant anteaters.

X/@narendramodi

India’s top court orders probe into Ambani family’s zoo project

INDIA’s Supreme Court has ordered an investigation into allegations of illegal animal imports and financial irregularities at Vantara, a private zoo run by Anant Ambani, son of Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani.

Vantara describes itself as the “world’s biggest wild animal rescue centre” and is located in Gujarat. According to India’s Central Zoo Authority, it houses more than 200 elephants, 50 bears, 160 tigers, 200 lions, 250 leopards and 900 crocodiles, along with other species.

Keep ReadingShow less
Jammu-flood-Reuters

Damaged cemented blocks lie in the water beside an under-construction dam on the Tawi River, following heavy rainfall in Jammu, on August 27, 2025. (Photo: Reuters)

Reuters

Landslide near Vaishno Devi kills 30, heavy rain continues in north India

HEAVY rain in northern India has led to flooding and landslides, leaving at least 34 people dead and disrupting essential services, officials and local media said. More rainfall has been forecast for Wednesday.

A landslide near the Vaishno Devi shrine on Tuesday killed at least 30 people on the popular pilgrims’ route, ANI reported.

Keep ReadingShow less
India's Election Commission under fire as opposition rallies over 'voter rights'

Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Bihar party president Rajesh Ram and others during 'Voter Adhikar Yatra', in Bihar. (AICC via PTI Photo)

India's Election Commission under fire as opposition rallies over 'voter rights'

INDIA’s opposition Congress party leaders Rahul Gandhi and his sister, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, intensified their attack on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Patry (BJP) and the Election Commission of India (ECI), accusing them of colluding to “steal votes” in Bihar state, which goes to the polls later this year.

Priyanka joined Rahul at a protest on Tuesday (26) in Supaul, Bihar, alleging that the ruling coalition in Bihar, led by the BJP, had “lost the trust of the people” and was now “hatching a conspiracy to steal votes across the country.”

Keep ReadingShow less