The European Parliament (LIBE Committee) and the Council have reached a political agreement to update the Safe Third Country rules of the Asylum Procedure Regulation, part of the EU Migration and Asylum Pact.
The new rules allow member states to declare asylum applications inadmissible if a non-EU country is considered safe for the applicant, based on a connection to that country, transit through it, or the existence of an agreement for examining asylum claims. Unaccompanied minors are exempt when the rules are applied through such agreements. Appeals against inadmissibility decisions will not automatically suspend returns.
The agreement now requires formal adoption and will apply from 12 June 2026.