Tunisia is now on the common list of countries of origin deemed “safe” by the European Union, a decision endorsed by the EU Council. This new classification leads to the acceleration of the processing of asylum applications filed by Tunisians. It is part of a profound overhaul of European migration policy.
A European ranking that changes the rules of the game
The European Union has formalized the inclusion of Tunisia on its updated list of countries of origin considered “safe”, a categorization which profoundly modifies the management of asylum files.
Tunisian nationals will continue to have the possibility of submitting a request, but this will now be examined according to an abbreviated procedure, because it is presumed unfounded in the absence of personal elements demonstrating a real risk of persecution.
The European concept of a “safe country” is based on an assessment of overall respect for fundamental rights, the functioning of the rule of law and guarantees against inhumane treatment.
Harmonization imposed on Member States
In this new classification, Tunisia joins Egypt and Morocco, selected following a harmonized examination applied for the first time at the level of the Twenty-Seven. Member States will have to align their sorting and processing mechanisms in accordance with this unified list.
This development comes in the context of a comprehensive reform of the European Pact on Migration and Asylum, which aims to reduce divergences between national systems and speed up return procedures for rejected people. Brussels presents this harmonization as a way to streamline administrative flows and make decisions more coherent.
Reservations expressed by NGOs
Several human rights organizations have, however, warned against a vision perceived as too optimistic of the Tunisian situation. They believe that socio-political realities must be examined with more nuance, fearing that this classification could lead to systematic rejections of requests, regardless of potentially sensitive individual situations.
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