Cem Özdemir, the Green Party’s leading candidate in Baden-Württemberg, advocates moving asylum procedures to safe third countries. He told the news portal T‑Online that if a third country upholds rule‑of‑law procedures-under the guidance of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR)-it offers a more humane option. Özdemir contends that the current asylum system favors the stronger side, disproportionately disadvantaging women and children, who he sees as especially vulnerable.
At the end of last year, the European Union established a framework to transfer people more easily to so‑called safe third countries outside the EU. The proposal would allow asylum applications to be processed in countries with which applicants have no existing ties. However, the measures still need confirmation from the EU Parliament. The new regulation would also make it easier to set up Return Hubs for rejected asylum seekers in out‑of‑EU third countries, a tactic that Özdemir rejects.