EU considering deportation of refugees to third countries with no clear ties
The European Union is debating the possibility of relocating refugees to countries with which they have no clear ties, rights groups say.
The groups criticized Tuesday's "safe third country" proposal, arguing it violates fundamental EU principles and would place excessive pressure on developing nations.
“These proposals are yet another cynical attempt to evade the EU’s refugee protection responsibilities, shifting them to countries with fewer resources and less capacity to offer lasting protection,” said an advocate on migration, refugees and asylum seeking issues.
"Sending people to countries to which they have no connection, no support and no prospects, or may have only briefly transited through, is not only chaotic and arbitrary, but also devastating on a human level."
The change, according to rights advocates, would further erode asylum protections in Europe, strip away fundamental rights, and heighten the dangers of forced returns and mass arbitrary detention in third countries—particularly given the EU’s growing failure to ensure human rights compliance among its partner states.
The European Commission’s proposal obviates the need for a genuine connection between the asylum seeker and the third country. Instead, simply passing through the country or having an agreement with the EU member state would be enough.
Additionally, the proposal removes the suspensive effect of appeals, allowing for the forcible transfer of individuals to that country before their appeals are reviewed.
These measures represent a concerning effort to shift refugee protection and migration control away from Europe’s borders.
A decade ago, Europe's reception of over one million refugees triggered a political crisis regarding responsibility sharing, leaving lingering tensions between neighboring nations. This led to ongoing stricter refugee policies.
In a recent move, the European Commission proposed classifying seven nations - Bangladesh, Colombia, Egypt, India, Kosovo, Morocco and Tunisia - as "safe third country."
Under the safe third country principle, refugees can be sent for protection to a country other than the one in which they initially sought asylum.
It was also stated that refugees from these nations are unlikely to receive asylum in Europe and that their applications should be processed within three months instead of the usual six, allowing for quicker repatriation.
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