Brussels, Belgium, 1 July 2025 — Following the release of the EU’s ‘safe country’ and returns proposals, more than 50 civil society organisations are together calling for the EU and its member states to firmly reject any attempts to weaken protection for asylum seekers.
The raft of recent proposals have raised alarm among NGOs - paving the way for the EU to curtail asylum processes for people seeking asylum from certain countries, make it easier to deport people to countries they have never set foot in, and create so-called ‘return hubs’ outside of EU territory where people could be at risk of human rights violations.
The signatories to the statement - including the International Rescue Committee (IRC), Amnesty International and the Danish Refugee Council - state that “the EU seems to be seeking to shift responsibility for refugee protection onto countries outside its borders and sidestep its legal obligations under the Refugee Convention and EU law”.
They warn that the EU’s new proposals are interconnected parts of a broader strategy to externalise the bloc’s migration management - appearing to signal a retreat from Europe’s commitment to asylum, and risk contributing to a worrying erosion of refugee protection globally.
Read the statement in full here.
Meron Ameha Knikman, Senior EU Advocacy Advisor, International Rescue Committee: “These proposals will open the door to yet more misguided EU externalisation efforts. At a moment when 3 in 4 of the world's displaced people are hosted by low or middle-income countries, the EU has a responsibility to step up, rather than exploring ever more cruel, counterproductive ways to deport people to countries where they risk violence, exploitation and abuse. The EU has a moral, legal and strategic imperative to shift its focus onto strengthening asylum systems and welcoming people with dignity and respect.”
Olivia Sundberg, EU Advocate on Migration and Asylum, Amnesty International: “These proposals weaken access to asylum in Europe, downgrade people’s rights, and increase the risk of refoulement and of widespread arbitrary detention in third countries – especially in light of the EU’s inability to monitor and uphold respect for human rights in its partner countries. The EU's attempts to offload its responsibilities to countries outside the bloc are not humane, strategic or sustainable. They also come at the expense of building asylum systems in the EU that are truly prepared to welcome people in need and allow them to rebuild their lives.”
Céline Mias, EU Director of the Danish Refugee Council, says: "The proposed expansion of the safe third country concept means that people in a vulnerable situation may be sent to a country where they have never been or with which they have no connection whatsoever. Furthermore, the proposal shifts responsibility for protection to third countries, while insufficiently safeguarding refugees' and asylum-seekers' rights, putting people at risk of significant rights violations."
Note to editors:
What is the ‘safe countries of origin’ proposal?
- The ‘safe country of origin’ proposal presumes that some countries are generally safe for their citizens, which means that anyone from that country who seeks international protection is likely to have their application rejected.
- The European Commission recently designated seven ‘safe countries of origin’: Kosovo, Colombia, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Bangladesh and India, as well as EU candidate countries.
- It also announced that applicants from countries where - on average - 20% or fewer of the claims submitted are approved, will have their applications fast-tracked rather than processed on their individual merits, and likely denied. It’s also now possible for EU states to designate countries as ‘safe’ - but with exemptions for specific regions, or categories of individuals.
What is the ‘safe third country’ concept?
- The 'safe third country' concept outlines where people can be deported to - other than their country of origin - if their application for international protection is deemed inadmissible.
- There are still many unanswered questions about how this will work in practice, but it is likely to result in fewer people having their asylum claims assessed in a full and fair way, and more people being deported to countries they have never set foot in.
- According to current EU law, people can only be returned to countries to which they have a meaningful connection. However, the Commission is now seeking to make it possible for people to be sent to a country they have only briefly traveled through, or have no connection with whatsoever.
What is the EU’s proposed ‘Common European System for Returns’?
- This regulation aims to increase the number of people who are removed from EU territory after their asylum application is rejected. It paves the way for the creation of so-called ‘return hubs’ - facilities in non-EU countries where people whose claims have been refused will be forced to remain until the authorities deport them.
- Many organisations, including the IRC, fear that these centres could result in people being held in de-facto prisons, at grave risk of increased human rights violations.