On 8 December EU governments adopted their negotiating positions on two pivotal pieces of legislation: a common list of “safe countries of origin” and an EU Return Regulation that will harmonise deportation procedures and allow detention for migrants who ignore voluntary departure orders. Italy supported the compromise, arguing that uniform standards will relieve pressure on its asylum system and reduce secondary movements northward within Schengen.
The asylum proposal lets member states refuse protection to applicants who could have sought refuge in a safe third country. Bangladesh, Colombia, Egypt, India, Kosovo, Morocco and Tunisia are among the states preliminarily listed. The return file introduces the concept of EU-level “return hubs,” echoing Italy’s own experiment with facilities in Albania.
![Council Backs ‘Safe Country’ List and Tougher EU-Wide Return Rules – Italian Implications]()
Rights groups, including Amnesty International, condemned the measures as punitive and liable to leave migrants in legal limbo. Business lobbies are more sanguine, predicting faster processing will free up administrative bandwidth for work-permit cases and reduce backlogs that currently delay family-reunification visas.
For employers, the practical effect will be closer scrutiny of humanitarian grounds when sponsoring staff dependants. HR teams should also monitor whether return-order detention rules creep into domestic law, possibly affecting employees who overstay expired permits.
The Council must now negotiate with the European Parliament; final texts are expected by mid-2026, leaving a narrow window for companies to adapt compliance protocols before implementation.
The asylum proposal lets member states refuse protection to applicants who could have sought refuge in a safe third country. Bangladesh, Colombia, Egypt, India, Kosovo, Morocco and Tunisia are among the states preliminarily listed. The return file introduces the concept of EU-level “return hubs,” echoing Italy’s own experiment with facilities in Albania.
Rights groups, including Amnesty International, condemned the measures as punitive and liable to leave migrants in legal limbo. Business lobbies are more sanguine, predicting faster processing will free up administrative bandwidth for work-permit cases and reduce backlogs that currently delay family-reunification visas.
For employers, the practical effect will be closer scrutiny of humanitarian grounds when sponsoring staff dependants. HR teams should also monitor whether return-order detention rules creep into domestic law, possibly affecting employees who overstay expired permits.
The Council must now negotiate with the European Parliament; final texts are expected by mid-2026, leaving a narrow window for companies to adapt compliance protocols before implementation.
