EU Revises Asylum Criteria

European Parliament members from the Civil Liberties Committee have supported a significant revision of the criteria used to determine if a non-EU country can be considered safe for asylum seekers. This decision, if enacted, could profoundly affect the handling of asylum applications by EU member states.

On Wednesday, the committee voted to endorse changes to the 2024 Asylum Law, which include new conditions under which member states can declare a non-EU country as a “safe third country” (STC). This designation would make an asylum application from such a country inadmissible. The vote saw 40 members in favor and 32 against, with no abstentions. The proposed modifications align with the European Commission’s earlier suggestion to update this provision in the Asylum Procedure Regulation.

The revised rules stipulate three potential conditions for applying the STC concept: the presence of a connection between the asylum seeker and the third country, such as family ties or previous residency; transit through a third country where the asylum seeker could have sought protection; or a formal agreement between the EU and the third country. Furthermore, the new rules do not require a connection to be established under international refugee or human rights law, offering EU nations the flexibility to implement these regulations as they see fit.

The next steps involve the European Parliament entering negotiations with the Council to finalize the legislation. This revision is part of the broader Migration and Asylum Pact, expected to be fully implemented by June 2026. Rapporteur Lena Düpont emphasized the necessity of these amendments for making migration management more credible and operational across the EU.