Collection
‘Safe Countries’ and International Protection
Published on
Last updated on
Published on
Last updated on
A safe country of origin is defined as a country where, on the basis of the legal situation, the application of the law within a democratic system and the general political circumstances, it can be shown that there is generally and consistently no persecution as defined in the Directive 2011/95/EU (Recast Qualification Directive) , no torture or inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment and no threat by reason of indiscriminate violence in situations of international or internal armed conflict.
The following countries are designated as safe countries of origin:
21 EU Member States also operate a safe country of origin based accelerated procedure
A new accelerated application procedure for those from safe countries of origin was introduced in November 2022.
Applicants from a designated safe country of origin receive their interview date on the day they apply for international protection reducing their waiting time for an interview to a matter of weeks.