Egypt and Bangladesh appear on the European Commission’s draft safe list of countries deemed suitable for migrant repatriation. The provisional document, seen by ANSA, is expected to be shared with EU member states within hours.
The list is central to ongoing debates over how and where migrants can be returned, particularly in relation to Italy’s migrant policy and offshore processing scheme with Albania.
Last year, Italian courts blocked the transfer of three initial groups of migrants, mostly Egyptians and Bangladeshis, to processing centres in Albania. Judges cited a ECJ ruling which requires a country’s entire territory to be designated as safe for repatriation. At the time, neither Egypt nor Bangladesh met that standard.
Despite these legal setbacks, the Italian government is pushing to revive its agreement with Albania. The plan involves processing migrants outside the EU in a bid to deter irregular crossings. The first Albanian facility, originally designed for initial processing of sea-rescued migrants, has now been converted into a holding and repatriation centre (CPR).
On Friday, the first 40 migrants were transferred there from existing Italian CPRs.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has praised the Italy-Albania agreement as a model of innovation. Several other EU states, along with the United Kingdom, have expressed interest in replicating the scheme.
Italy hopes the new draft safe list will help resolve support its strategy of externalising migrant procedures. However, the final designation of countries as safe remains subject to judicial and political scrutiny.
