EU Adds Tunisia to List of Safe Countries of Origin
The European Union has officially added Tunisia to its first "common list of safe countries of origin", adopted on December 8, 2025. From now on, asylum applications submitted by Tunisian nationals will be subject to accelerated procedures, on the assumption that they are "manifestly unfounded", unless specific elements expose an individual risk. The classification is the result of the Council's agreement on two major aspects: the revision of the concept of "safe third countries" and the establishment of a single European list of "safe countries of origin", as part of the migration pact adopted by the EU.
Key Points
- Tunisia is listed alongside countries such as Egypt, Morocco, Bangladesh, Colombia, India, and Kosovo.
- According to the official statement, a country of origin can be considered "safe" if it provides a sufficient level of protection for fundamental rights, the rule of law, and equality before the law for its inhabitants.
- The European institutions' analysis suggests that Tunisia meets these criteria, given the absence of armed conflict or widespread persecution.
Implications
The decision goes beyond Tunisia, illustrating the EU's shift towards faster processing of asylum applications deemed "manifestly unfounded" and a overall tightening of its migration policy. This development may have significant implications for asylum seekers from Tunisia and other countries on the list, as well as for the EU's migration landscape as a whole.
