EU Law Analysis

Asylum Pact 2.0: The EU Amends the Rules on ‘Safe Third Countries’ and ‘Safe Countries of Origin’

The EU Council approved two amendments to the asylum pact, tightening rules on both ‘safe countries of origin’ and ‘safe third countries’. Designations become mandatory, with the option to label parts of a country or specific groups as safe, and a common EU list now includes Bangladesh, Colombia, Egypt, India, Kosovo, Morocco and Tunisia. The 2026 changes also drop the need for a personal connection to a safe third country, introducing a ‘Rwanda‑type’ clause that can apply to any third‑country agreement. Appeals will generally lose automatic suspensive effect, except for unaccompanied minors.