Changes in the application of the safe third country concept in connection with the implementation of the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum
Abstract
The safe third country concept (STC) enables European Union (EU) Member States to consider an asylum application inadmissible if the applicant can receive effective protection in a third country considered safe. Over the past decade, procedural complexity and divergent interpretations of the rules across Member States have significantly limited the practical application of this concept. In response to these challenges, the framework for the STC concept was modified under the Pact on Migration and Asylum (adopted in May 2024) and the Commission’s proposal of May 2025, which introduced a systemic reform of its implementation. This article aims to analyse the proposed changes to the application of the BKT concept and evaluate their impact on the efficiency of asylum procedures, specifically regarding the expedited processing of international protection claims and the alleviation of the burden on national reception systems. Furthermore, the article reflects concerns regarding the protection of fundamental rights. It focuses particularly on potential threats to the principle of non-refoulement, the right to a fair trial, and the right to an effective remedy in light of the new legal framework.
Keywords:
European Union law, European Union, asylum law, Pact on Migration and Asylum, safe third country concept, reform, principle of non-refoulementReferences
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