EU Proposes Allowing Deportation of Asylum Seekers to Third Countries
The European Union executive on Tuesday proposed amending EU law to allow member states to deport rejected asylum seekers to countries with which they have no connection, a move rights groups say would undermine the right to asylum.
The European Commission said the changes, which would let countries remove an asylum applicant if they could be sent to a third country deemed safe by the EU, would “accelerate asylum processes and reduce pressure on asylum systems”.
The proposal would lift the requirement for a connection between the asylum seeker and the safe third country.
“The revised Safe Third Country concept is another tool to help member states process asylum claims more efficiently, while fully respecting the EU’s values and fundamental rights,” said EU internal affairs and migration commissioner Magnus Brunner.
Anti-immigration sentiment has grown across the 27-nation EU since over a million people – mostly Syrian refugees – arrived via the Mediterranean in 2015, catching the bloc unprepared. Unable to agree on how to share responsibility, EU countries have primarily focused on returns and reducing arrivals.
The amendments also stipulate that if asylum seekers appeal their rejected requests, they cannot automatically remain in EU territory during the appeals process.
