European countries hoping to mirror Italy’s controversial practice of sending some asylum seekers rescued at sea to overseas deportation centers have been dealt a setback by Europe’s top court.
On Friday, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled that while Italy could still utilize the centers it runs in the Albanian cities of Shengiin and Gjader, who can be sent there must be more closely examined to ensure that asylum seekers aren’t being sent back to dangerous situations in their home countries.
The court said that a country of origin can only be considered “safe” after it has been “subject to effective judicial review,” and that a country must be demonstrably safe for all its population, including vulnerable or marginalized groups.
The ECJ ruling will almost certainly impact new EU asylum regulations, which are set to take effect next June and are designed to allow member states to create their own “safe” country lists to expedite and outsource the asylum process.
The EU’s own list, meant to be a guide, includes Bangladesh, Columbia, Egypt, India, Kosovo, Morocco and Tunisia, despite human rights campaigners warning that those countries aren’t safe for all who live there.
