EU Council approves deportation of asylum seekers to third countries
This was reported by DW.
The decision was made as part of the reform of the pan-European asylum system. From now on, deportation to a third country does not require the applicant to have relatives or previous residence in that country.
Previously, a "close connection" with the third country was a mandatory requirement. Now, an intergovernmental agreement between an EU member state and the third country in question is sufficient.
As part of the reform, a single list of safe countries of origin has been approved for all EU countries. It includes Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Kosovo, Colombia, India and Bangladesh.
Citizens of these countries will undergo an accelerated asylum application procedure. However, there will be no automatic rejection — each case will be considered individually.
Countries that are candidates for EU membership will automatically be considered safe for their citizens. These are Albania, Montenegro and Turkey.
Earlier, the Polish Sejm passed a law allowing Ukrainians who are in the country under temporary protection to switch to temporary residence.
