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EU: Migration crisis: EU discussing common list of "safe countries of origin" and resettlement programmes

14 July 2014

Today the JHA Counsellors, a secretive working party of the Council of the EU, is discussing draft agreements between the Member States that concern the ongoing migration crisis. On the agenda are a set of conclusions on "designating certain third countries as safe countries of origin", and recommendations on resettlement programmes for 40,000 people currently in Italy and Greece and 20,000 people currently outside of the EU.

The draft conclusions suggest setting up a common European list of "safe countries of origin" and giving priority to adding all western Balkans states to that list. There is no mention of giving the European Parliament a say on this.

The draft recommendation on resettlement in document 10595/1/15 appears to suggest that persons from outside the EU taking part in resettlement schemes may be resettled in non-EU states. They note the possibility of protecting people from refoulement by resettling them in states "not bound by all or part of the EU asylum acquis".

Draft Conclusions of the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States meeting within the Council on resettling through multilateral and national schemes 20 000 displaced persons in clear need of international protection (10595/1/15, pdf)

Draft Resolution of the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States meeting within the Council on relocating from Greece and Italy 40 000 persons in clear need of international protection (10849/15, pdf)

Draft Council Conclusions on safe countries of origin (10687/15, pdf)

Meeting: JHA Counsellors: NOTICE OF MEETING AND PROVISIONAL AGENDA (CM 3274/1/15, pdf)

There is a long history of attempts to establish common lists of safe countries of origin:

From 1997: Questionnaire on the "safe country of origin" principle (telex n° 5271 dated 19.12.96) - analysis of responses (6656/97, pdf, hosted in the JHA Archive)

From 2004: EU divided over list of “safe countries of origin” – Statewatch calls for the list to be scrapped (pdf)

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