The Federal Cabinet adopted the regulation on the determination of safe countries of origin for international protection. Countries with low recognition rates should be classified as safe countries of origin more quickly and easily. The government aims to speed up asylum procedures and relieve the burden on authorities and courts.
The German Bundestag had adopted the draft bill on the determination of safe countries of origin by statutory order back in December 2025 (See related development below).
The new law on determining safe countries of origin by statutory order will now enter into force on 1 February 2026.
Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Ghana, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Senegal and Serbia are already designated as safe countries of origin for international protection under the Asylum Act (Section 29b(2)).
Asylum applications will continue to be examined on an individual basis. Applicants from safe countries of origin have the opportunity to present facts or evidence proving that, contrary to the general presumption, they are at risk of persecution in their country of origin. The designation of safe country of origin will generally shorten time limits, particularly for appeals against a negative decision on an asylum application and legal action does not have a suspensive effect. In addition, the designation of a safe country of origin will result in stricter residence requirements and the prohibition to access the labour market during the asylum procedure.