Despite heavy criticism from more than 200 organisations, most core elements of the European Commission’s proposals are now on course to become law.
The Council will next enter talks with the European Parliament to finalise the legislation. Parliament has yet to adopt its position, but recent drafts keep the same main provisions.
EU countries also approved their 2026 “solidarity pool”, giving them the choice to support Mediterranean states with 21,000 relocations, 420 million euros in funds or alternative measures.
Under the updated asylum rules, a country may reject an asylum claim if the applicant could have sought protection in a state the EU considers safe.
Denmark’s migration minister, Rasmus Stoklund, said the changes advance long-standing efforts to shift asylum processing to safe third countries in order to reduce dangerous journeys to Europe. He noted that member states have agreed on a common approach that permits deals with such countries to handle asylum claims outside the EU.
Member states designated all EU accession candidates as “safe”, alongside Bangladesh, Colombia, Egypt, India, Kosovo, Morocco and Tunisia.
The Council also reached its position on new return regulations, which introduce mandatory obligations on individuals issued with return orders for the first time. Those who refuse to leave voluntarily could face prison time for non-cooperation, and the rules allow the creation of “return hubs” across the bloc.
Amnesty International criticised the plans, saying they reflect a “dehumanising” approach similar to that seen in the US. Olivia Sundberg Diez, the organisation’s EU advocate on migration and asylum, said the new framework risks expanding deportations, raids and detention, leaving more people in precarious, uncertain conditions.