The undersigned organizations find the European Commission’s April 16, 2025 proposal to establish a Union-wide list of “safe countries of origin” and to include Egypt among them incompatible with the EU’s human rights obligations. This measure risks severely undermining the rights of asylum seekers and weakening the EU’s commitments to international protection standards.

The designation of Egypt as a "safe country of origin" would trigger accelerated asylum procedures for its nationals, increasing the likelihood of  applicants rejected  without a thorough and fair individual assessment. Such an approach conflicts with the principle that each asylum claim must be evaluated based on its own merits, as repeatedly affirmed by European and international courts.

While the Commission’s proposal acknowledges human rights challenges in Egypt, it astonishingly concludes that these do not amount to persecution or serious harm under articles 9 and 15 of the Qualification Regulation (EU 2024/1347). This conclusion disregards consistent findings from UN mechanisms, treaty bodies, and independent civil society reports.

Extensive reports have documented widespread and systematic abuses in Egypt: severe restrictions on freedoms of expression, association, and peaceful assembly; arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, and torture; and the persecution of human rights defenders, journalists, and political opponents under the guise of counterterrorism measures. These conditions have been recognized and condemned by UN Special Procedures, the European Parliament, and international human rights organizations.

UN Special Procedures have raised concerns over Egypt's asylum law, which was developed without meaningful consultation and does not meet international standards. It imposes arbitrary restrictions, criminalizes irregular entry, fails to guarantee protection from refoulement, and leaves asylum seekers vulnerable to detention and deportation. These risks have been demonstrated in recent cases involving Uyghur, Sudanese, and Eritrean nationals.

References to initiatives such as the National Human Rights Strategy and the National Dialogue cannot substitute for genuine reform. Independent assessments show no substantial improvement in Egypt’s human rights situation, nor in respect for the rule of law. Rather, they highlight ongoing arbitrary detentions, suppression of dissent, and a lack of judicial independence.

Designating Egypt as a "safe country of origin" at this time would not only disregard overwhelming evidence to the contrary but it would also endanger the lives and rights of those seeking refuge, violating the EU’s obligations under the principle of non-refoulement.

Accordingly, we urge the Council of the European Union and the European Parliament to:

• Reject the Commission’s proposal to amend Regulation (EU) 2024/1348 by designating Egypt as a “safe country of origin.”

• Request a comprehensive reassessment of Egypt’s human rights situation based on verified findings from UN Special Procedures, EU agencies, and independent civil society organizations.

• Safeguard the right of all asylum seekers to a fair, individualized, and effective asylum procedure, in line with EU and international legal obligations.

• Introduce mandatory consultation mechanisms with UN human rights bodies, the EU Agency for Asylum (EUAA), and independent civil society for all “safe country of origin” designations and reviews.

• Establish regular reassessment procedures for “safe country” listings, ensuring robust parliamentary oversight based on up-to-date human rights reporting.

• Promote transparency by facilitating civil society and media engagement in monitoring the impacts of “safe country” and “ safe country of origin”and broader migration cooperation policies.

Upholding the credibility and integrity of the EU’s asylum system requires that human rights, not political convenience, guide decisions on country designations. 

Signatories:

1. ANKH

2. Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression (AFTE)

3. Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS)

4. Dfater Masr

5. Digital Democracy

6. Egyptian Front for Human Rights (EFHR)

7. Egyptian Human Rights Forum (EHRF)

8. EgyptWide for Human Rights

9. Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR)

10. EuroMed Rights

11. FairSquare

12. Law and Democracy Support Foundation (LDSF)

13. REDWORD for Human Rights & Freedom of Expression

14. Sinai Foundation for Human Rights

15. The Regional Coalition for Women Human Rights Defenders in South West Asia and North Africa (WHRDMENA)

16. World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT)