EU’s Proposed ‘Safe Third Country’ Reform Sparks Outrage.
The European Commission is set to unveil a controversial reform of the European Union’s ‘safe third country’ concept today, triggering fierce criticism from migrants’ rights experts and EU lawmakers. The proposal seeks to dismantle the ‘connection criteria’ and eliminate the suspensive effect of appeals, meaning individuals could be deported to countries with which they have no ties, and appeals would not delay their removal.
Critics have branded the move a “lethal blow to the right to asylum,” warning it undermines the fairness and safeguards of the asylum process. The reform is seen as pivotal to the new Returns Regulation, announced in March, which has already been condemned by Amnesty International and other human rights groups as a “new low” for its inclusion of “return hubs.” These hubs, likened to offshore deportation centres such as Guantanamo Bay under the Trump administration, would rely on removing the connection criteria to function. Currently, $21 million has been spent on flights to Guantanamo, where 32 people remain detained for removal purposes.
The reform comes amid findings from the Euro-African Dialogue on Migration and Development, known as the Rabat Process, which revealed that only 20 per cent of African migrants are irregular. The remaining 80 per cent migrate through regular channels, highlighting the need for policies that support legal migration. Pilar Jimenez, Spain’s Ambassador at Large for Migration Affairs, emphasised that migration drives mutual and sustainable development, with youth playing a central role in unlocking its benefits.
As the EU pushes forward with its contentious plans, the debate over balancing border control with human rights obligations intensifies, raising questions about the future of asylum in Europe.
