15 May 2025
Safe for whom?
The EU’s notion of “safe countries of origin” is on increasingly shaky ground. In a recent Opinion, Advocate General de la Tour suggests that a country can still be deemed safe even when specific groups face serious threats there. This reinterpretation breaks with established case law and risks hollowing out core procedural protections for asylum seekers across Europe. It remains to be seen how this stance will influence the delicate balance between efficient processing and safeguarding fundamental rights. Continue reading >>
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13 May 2025
Wenn Wissensquellen versiegen
Die ersten 100 Tage von Trumps zweiter Amtszeit wirken sich nicht nur drastisch auf den Welthandel und die liberale Weltordnung aus – sondern auch auf Asylverfahren in Deutschland. Vor allem das Defunding von Entwicklungszusammenarbeit verändert die Informationslage zu asylrelevanten Herkunftsländern radikal: Etablierte Quellen von Herkunftslandinformationen verschwinden, das Verständnis von zentralen Konzepten (wie Terrorismus) wandelt sich und die Informationslage wird noch volatiler. Dies stellt deutsche Gerichte bei der Tatsachenaufklärung in Asylverfahren vor neue Herausforderungen. Continue reading >>
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07 May 2025
Longing for Safety before the European Court of Justice
On 10 April 2025, Advocate General de la Tour delivered his Advisory Opinion in the joined cases Alace and Canpelli dealing with the powers of Italy – and, by extension, other EU Member States – to legislate on what constitutes a “safe third country” and a “safe country of origin”. The AG confirmed that Italy can list a third country as “safe” when it is “generally” deemed as such, provided that this designation is compliant with EU law. This piece discusses how the human rights of applicants seeking international protection are likely to be hindered by this approach. Continue reading >>
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12 June 2024
Two Steps Forward?
On May 25 2024 the Advocate General Nicholas Emiliou delivered his opinion in the Case C-406/22 CV v Ministerstvo vnitra České republiky, Odbor azylové a migrační politiky on several issues regarding the application of the safe country of origin (SCO) concept. The case could have significant impact on SCO policies of several EU Member States and the rights of refugees as it addresses the possibility of designating countries as safe with territorial exceptions as well as a more active approach to judicial review of SCO designations. If adopted by the CJEU, the AG’s suggestions could serve to enhance refugee protection, though the adoption of the Pact on Migration and Asylum might possibly counteract this. Continue reading >>23 May 2024
Nigeria as a Safe Country of Origin?
On May 7th 2024 Italy updated its list of safe countries of origin (SCO) for the second time after the introduction of the notion in the national legal system in 2019. Notably, the latest update retained the most contentious addition to the list from last year, Nigeria. Until then, only Cyprus considered Nigeria as generally safe. The legal issues underlying this designation illustrate how country of origin information (COI), largely provided to Member States by the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA), is (mis)used to produce policy-based evidence rather than evidence-based policies. Continue reading >>
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