EU Revamps Asylum Safe Country Rules

In a landmark decision, the European Parliament and the Council have agreed on significant updates to the Asylum Procedure Regulation, introducing new criteria for determining safe third countries for asylum seekers. This agreement, reached on December 18, 2025, follows a proposal by the European Commission to refine the application of the safe third country concept within EU member states.

The updated regulation allows EU countries to declare an asylum application inadmissible if the applicant can be considered safe in a non-EU country, under certain conditions. These conditions include having familial, cultural, or similar links to the third country, having previously transited or stayed there, or the existence of bilateral or multilateral agreements between the EU and the third country for handling asylum requests.

This development is part of the broader Common European Asylum System and aims to streamline asylum procedures, reduce irregular migration, and increase the efficiency of return procedures. Notably, the new rules exempt unaccompanied minors from the safe third country provisions and maintain stringent security protocols in their cases.

The agreement awaits formal adoption by both the Parliament and the Council before it takes effect. The Asylum Procedure Regulation, adopted in May 2024, is set to be implemented from June 12, 2026. Rapporteur Lena Düpont highlighted that this reform is critical for making EU migration policies more credible and effective, ensuring protection is granted where necessary but outside the EU if safe conditions are met elsewhere.