On Tuesday the European Parliament approved new rules for asylum procedures across the EU. With 408 votes for, 184 against and 60 abstentions, it sanctioned the creation of a EU‑wide list of safe countries of origin. Members also agreed on a regulation implementing the safe‑third‑country concept.

The new list will speed up the processing of applications from countries such as Bangladesh, Colombia, Egypt, Kosovo, India, Morocco and Tunisia. Applicants must show that, in their particular case, the safe‑origin status does not apply. EU candidate states are treated as safe countries of origin unless exceptional circumstances arise. The Commission will monitor conditions in these countries and can propose changes to the list.

The agreements now require formal adoption by the European Council.