Overview

• The European Court of Justice ruled that member states’ lists of “safe countries of origin” must allow effective judicial review under EU asylum directives
• Judges must verify that any third country designated as safe guarantees protection for all its inhabitants, invalidating Italy’s blanket legislative list that included Bangladesh
• Italy’s reception centres in Albania have been effectively suspended pending implementation of the ruling until the EU’s revised asylum regulation enters into force, currently set for June 2026
• Rome criticized the judgment as an overreach into national sovereignty and is exploring ways to fast-track the new EU asylum regulation to restore its offshore processing protocol
• Legal advocates and the National Magistrates Association hailed the decision for upholding the primacy of EU law, the right to defense and the separation of powers