The European Union has listed seven countries—Kosovo, Bangladesh, Colombia, Egypt, India, Morocco, and Tunisia—as "safe," making it harder for their citizens to claim asylum. This aims to speed up asylum decisions amid growing backlogs. Italy's government views this as a success following its advocacy for the change.

On Wednesday, the European Union released a list of seven countries deemed "safe," as part of efforts by member states to expedite the return of migrants. The countries included on the list are Kosovo, Bangladesh, Colombia, Egypt, India, Morocco, and Tunisia.

This announcement is expected to make it more difficult for citizens from these nations to apply for asylum within the EU. The decision comes amid growing concerns among EU member states about the backlog of asylum applications.

Magnus Brunner, the EU's commissioner for migration, emphasized the need for faster asylum decisions, stating, "Many member states are facing a significant backlog of asylum applications, so anything we can do now to support faster asylum decisions is essential."

Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi hailed the change as a victory for the Italian government, which has been working both bilaterally and multilaterally to secure the revision of the regulation.