The Council of Ministers in Italy has confirmed the list of safe countries outlined in a decree-law from October last year. Asylum seekers from "safe countries" are presumed to be at low risk of persecution and may have their claims rejected more easily.
For 2025, the safe countries of origin remain those indicated in the decree-law of October 23, 2024, namely:
- Albania
- Algeria
- Bangladesh
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Cape Verde
- Ivory Coast
- Egypt
- Gambia
- Georgia
- Ghana
- Kosovo
- North Macedonia
- Morocco
- Montenegro
- Peru
- Senegal
- Serbia
- Sri Lanka
- Tunisia
This was stated in the Italian government's communiqué following the Council of Ministers meeting on March 28, which approved the Annual Report on safe countries (concerning the assessment of international protection applications and repatriations), "on the proposal of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Antonio Tajani and the Minister of the Interior Matteo Piantedosi."
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The criteria of the 'country profiles'
As stipulated in Article 2-bis of Legislative Decree No. 25 of 2008 on safe countries of origin, "the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation has prepared the 'country profiles' containing updated information on the situation in the listed countries," the communiqué explains.
"These profiles are prepared in accordance with the qualification criteria established by European regulations (Article 37 and Annex I of Directive 2013/32/EU) and based on information provided by the National Commission for the Right of Asylum, as well as other qualified sources, particularly those provided by other EU Member States, the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the Council of Europe, and other competent international organizations."
The report will be forwarded to the relevant parliamentary committees.
***For more information about the safe countries decree and whether you can still apply for asylum in Italy if you come from one of those countries, please see the pages of the information service for refugees, migrants and asylum-seekers in Italy, Refugee.Info Italy: https://italy.refugee.info/en-us/articles/5388909671063 ***