European Parliament Tries to Bury the Right to Seek Asylum

By Human Rights Watch

Click to expand Image Members of the European Parliament, Strasbourg, France, January 21, 2026. © 2026 Philipp von Ditfurth/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Photo The European Parliament voted today to usher in changes to European Union asylum rules that jeopardize the right to seek asylum.It adopted an EU-wide list of “safe countries of origin” which means citizens from these countries will face an automatic presumption that they do not need protection and will be channeled into accelerated procedures that could overlook their individual circumstances; raising concerns about hasty and poor-quality…

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