After years of Danish pressure: The European Union opens the door to establishing asylum centers in third countries and tightening immigration and asylum policies.

According to the Danish Ministry of Immigration and Integration, at the last meeting of the Council of Home Affairs under the Danish Presidency of the European Union on Monday in Brussels, EU countries agreed to remove the legal restrictions that had prevented agreements with third countries on processing asylum applications outside Europe.

On Monday morning, EU countries reached an agreement on key issues that have long been a priority for Denmark in tightening immigration and asylum policies.

The member states agreed to relax the rules so that it would be possible for the European Union as a whole, or a group of its countries, to transfer asylum seekers who arrive irregularly in the Union to reception centers in “safe third countries” outside Europe to process their claims there.

Minister for Immigration and Integration Rasmus Stoklund stated:

“The previous and current governments have worked for many years and with great effort to convince other European countries of the Danish ideas. Over time, support has gradually grown. In May of this year, the European Commission submitted a proposal to amend the rules, and today the EU member states reached an agreement to relax them. It is a great victory that we, as European countries, have agreed to amend the rules so that it becomes practically possible to transfer asylum seekers to safe third countries to process their applications. This will help to stop the irregular flow to Europe, which has enormous humanitarian consequences and destabilizes European societies. It is an important step in the right direction, and I look forward to continuing to work in this direction,” according to the Danish Ministry of Immigration and Integration.

The following is an overview of the two agreements reached today, both of which will have to be negotiated later with the European Parliament:

EU asylum rules on transfer to safe third countries

Current EU rules allow member states to refuse to process an asylum application if the applicant can be referred to a “safe third country” where they can apply for asylum.
However, existing rules impose strict requirements that make their application difficult in practice, including the requirement that there be a “reasonable link” between the asylum seeker and that third country.

Denmark is not subject to these rules because of its reluctance to participate in EU policies relating to immigration and asylum, an exception it has maintained since joining the European Union.

But this reservation limits the ability of the rest of the EU to cooperate with third countries on transferring asylum seekers to process their applications outside Europe.

A unified European list of safe countries of origin

The European Union member states decided today in Brussels to adopt a common European list of safe countries of origin.

This list aims to speed up the processing of asylum applications and the return of asylum seekers who come from countries considered safe, i.e., those who do not usually need protection in the European Union but actually come as economic migrants.

The common list will also help reduce secondary migration within the European Union, and limit the phenomenon of “asylum shopping” by some asylum seekers who choose countries that do not classify their own countries as safe countries.

The list of countries considered safe (i.e., from which refugees should not be received) includes countries that are candidates for joining the European Union, in addition to Kosovo, Bangladesh, Colombia, Egypt, India, Morocco, and Tunisia.

More than 43,000 asylum seekers from Bangladesh applied for asylum in the European Union last year, representing about 4% of all asylum applications submitted in 2024.

Around 25,000 asylum seekers from both Colombia and Egypt also applied for asylum during the same year.

A major political victory for Denmark

Denmark is leading the tightening of immigration policies in Europe through the proposal of external asylum centers. The statement issued by the Danish Ministry of Immigration and Integration before the crucial meeting of the Council of Internal Affairs on December 8 was not just an official announcement, but rather a precise definition of the direction of future European policy.

Through the statements of Danish Minister Rasmus Stoklund, it is clear that the Danish approach is based on considering “deterrence and control” as “justice” in the asylum system.

This trend reflects a deeper shift in the overall European position on the issue of immigration, from an approach based on receiving asylum seekers within the Union to an approach aimed at managing applications and controlling borders from the outside.

Denmark used its rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union to lead this shift.

Denmark has used its rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union to lead this shift, putting on the table proposals that were previously controversial, such as reception centers outside Europe, stricter return rules, and an expanded list of “safe countries.”.

Protecting the cohesion and stability of European societies

The aim of this dual approach is to reduce irregular migration and deter economic migrants who use the asylum system as an alternative route to enter the European Union. According to Danish political discourse, these policies are not only intended to alleviate pressure on European migration systems, but also to protect the cohesion and stability of European societies.

Denmark is not originally part of the EU's migration and asylum agreements.

Opening the door to asylum centers in third countries represents a major political breakthrough for Denmark, one it has long sought, despite legal reservations and resistance within the EU. The Brussels meeting can thus be considered a diplomatic victory for Denmark and a new phase in its leadership and persistent efforts to strengthen European migration policy. This is all the more significant given that Denmark is not a party to the EU's migration and asylum agreements, as it stipulated, upon joining the EU, that it retain certain exceptions. Consequently, it has not joined four EU agreements, one of which is migration and asylum.