European Parliament approves tougher migration rules with far-right support

The European Parliament has approved two major proposals aimed at tightening the European Union’s migration policies, with strong support not only from mainstream blocs but also from far-right parties. These new regulations, which are expected to speed up both the evaluation and rejection of asylum applications, received backing from groups like the Conservatives and far-right factions such as the Patriots for Europe. The measures intend to address increasing pressure across the region over migration and asylum management.

The first approved proposal allows EU member states to return individuals seeking asylum to so-called ‘safe’ third countries rather than the country from which they arrived. The second measure clears the way for the creation of an official EU list of ‘safe countries.’ Applications from these countries—including Bangladesh, Colombia, Egypt, India, Morocco, Tunisia, and Kosovo as examples from the initial list—will be processed more swiftly and can be more easily denied. These new rules had already been approved by member states earlier this month and now move into negotiation phases between the European Parliament and the EU Council, with a final agreement possible as early as Wednesday night.

Separately, Denmark renewed its request to the European Commission on Wednesday, calling for the establishment of ‘return centers’ outside the EU for migrants whose asylum requests are denied. Joined by 18 other countries, including Belgium, Denmark is pushing for a legal framework and joint EU funding for these centers. Across Europe, governments are increasingly demanding stricter distribution of migrants and tougher measures to address asylum pressures; this month, all 27 EU countries petitioned the European Council to review the European Convention on Human Rights, arguing that current frameworks are no longer sufficient in the face of modern migration challenges.