• EU designates seven countries as 'safe' to expedite asylum claims.
• Countries included are Kosovo, Bangladesh, Colombia, Egypt, India, Morocco, and Tunisia.
• The new rules aim to cut down asylum processing times from six months to three.
• Human rights groups criticize the designation of these countries as 'safe' due to documented rights abuses.
• The plan needs approval from EU member states and the European Parliament before implementation.

The European Union has introduced its first common list of **safe countries of origin** as part of efforts to expedite asylum applications, facilitating quicker deportations. The designated countries are Kosovo, Bangladesh, Colombia, Egypt, India, Morocco, and Tunisia, and applications from their citizens are expected to be processed in just three months instead of the standard six, according to Le Monde.

The European Commission aims to alleviate pressure on national asylum systems, which currently face significant backlogs. "Many member states are facing a significant backlog of asylum applications, so anything we can do now to support faster asylum decisions is essential," EU Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner stated, highlighting the urgency of the new measures according to BBC.

Human rights organizations have voiced strong objections to the categorization of these countries as 'safe,' citing concerns about widespread human rights abuses. EuroMed Rights criticized the move as "misleading and dangerous," warning that it could endanger vulnerable populations in need of asylum, reports Africanews.

The list is intended to unify existing national lists, allowing EU countries to process asylum claims more efficiently while maintaining the provision for individual case assessments. The proposal includes an important caveat: the EU must consistently verify the safety status of these countries, facilitating a dynamic review process that could see countries added or removed if circumstances change, according to Anadolu Agency.

This proposed initiative comes as part of broader reforms to the EU's asylum system, following a turbulent period marked by migration surges since 2015. Member states are pushing for a streamlined process that would enable quicker responses to asylum applications while addressing public concerns regarding irregular migration, notably from countries significantly involved in the departure of migrants, according to BBC.