Olivia Sundberg Dies also added that “this vote signals the capitulation of the European Parliament to a long-standing campaign to undermine human rights, starting with the rights of refugees and migrants. This alarming shift in policy threatens the fundamental principles of the European Union.”
“The results of today’s vote mean that people seeking asylum in the EU may be denied consideration of their applications without proper assessment and sent back to countries with which they have no connection, even if they have never been there. These measures represent a retreat by the EU from its obligations to protect refugees and pave the way for agreements between member states and third countries for offshore processing of applications,” she emphasized.
Furthermore, the new agreement introduces a Europe-wide list of countries deemed “safe,” which shifts the burden of proof to the asylum seekers themselves. This undermines the principle of individual assessment of protection claims and creates additional barriers in a complex legal system, which will inevitably lead to denials of protection for those who are truly at risk,” added Olivia Sundberg Dies.
An important decision was made on February 10, when the European Parliament voted for changes to the concept of “safe third country” in the EU Regulation on asylum procedures and for the creation of a Europe-wide list of “safe countries of origin.” These changes simplify the process for member states to declare asylum applications inadmissible without consideration and allow for the forced return of people seeking protection to countries with which they are not connected. The suspension of appeals in such cases is also lifted, opening the possibility of deportation before complaints are resolved.
The new list of safe countries of origin includes Bangladesh, Colombia, Egypt, Kosovo, India, Morocco, and Tunisia, as well as candidate countries for EU membership (with exceptions). It is assumed that citizens of these countries do not require protection, and their applications will be processed in an expedited manner, which violates the individual approach to assessing their claims.
