EU court questions Italy’s ‘safe country’ list for migrants [taking into account the protection of minorities]

1 August 2025

While ruling Italy’s plan to fast-track migrant deportations is legal, the European Court of Justice set out some limits. Those include disclosing sources for their assessment of a country being considered “safe.”

A second condition stipulated by the court is that a state can only be designated as a safe country of origin if it offers adequate protection to the entire population, including minorities.

More: https://www.dw.com/en/eu-court-questions-italys-safe-country-list-for-migrants/a-73500838

CJEU: Alace (C-758/24) – judg. 1 Aug 2025 – safe country of origin

See: https://curia.europa.eu/juris/liste.jsf?nat=or&mat=or&pcs=Oor&jur=C,T,F&num=C-758%2F24&for=&jge=&dates=&language=en&pro=&cit=none%2CC%2CCJ%2CR%2C2008E%2C%2C%2C%2C%2C%2C%2C%2C%2C%2Ctrue%2Cfalse%2Cfalse&oqp=&td=;ALL&avg=&lg=&page=1&cid=1830825

“a Member State may not designate as a ‘safe’ country of origin a third country which does not satisfy, for certain categories of persons, the material conditions for such a designation. The new regulation, 4 which allows designations to be made with exceptions for such clearly identifiable categories of persons, will be applicable as from 12 June 2026, but it is open to the EU legislature to bring that date forward.”

Press Release: https://curia.europa.eu/jcms/upload/docs/application/pdf/2025-08/cp250103en.pdf