Giorgia Meloni Welcomes EU Proposal on Safe Countries of Origin for Migrants
Rome, Italy – Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has expressed strong approval of a new European Commission proposal that updates the list of “safe countries of origin” for asylum seekers. The list, which now includes Bangladesh, Egypt, and Tunisia among others, is seen as a crucial step toward managing migration more effectively across the European Union.
In a public statement shared via social media, Meloni described the move as “a source of great satisfaction,” signaling support for the EU’s latest efforts to refine its immigration and asylum policies. She highlighted that the inclusion of new nations in the safe country list allows member states to process asylum claims more efficiently, particularly by fast-tracking rejections for applicants from countries deemed generally free from persecution or conflict.
Meloni also welcomed the proposal to accelerate the implementation of specific parts of the EU’s Migration and Asylum Pact. A key feature of this move includes the authority to label countries as safe while allowing for territorial or category-based exceptions. This would give governments the flexibility to handle asylum applications based on contextual risk, while also applying a threshold criterion—commonly referenced as the 20% rule—for streamlined processing.
She emphasized the practical benefits of such regulatory changes, noting that they enable quicker border procedures for migrants arriving from nations considered safe. This approach, Meloni said, aligns with the framework established in the Italy-Albania Protocol, which seeks to manage migration collaboratively.
According to Meloni, the EU’s stance validates the strategic path taken by the Italian government in recent years. She asserted that Italy has played, and continues to play, a leading role in shaping Europe’s migration policy, with growing support from fellow EU nations.
This development represents a significant moment in European migration governance, as the continent continues to grapple with irregular migration and seeks to establish a more coherent, unified approach. Italy’s leadership in pushing for stricter, yet structured, migration controls appears to be gaining traction across the bloc.
