safe states of origin

• Greece
• Turkey

Greece's decision to consider Turkey a safe third country is "unacceptable," 38 humanitarian organizations have argued in a letter to the Greek government and the European Union. Greece recently declared Turkey safe for asylum seekers from Afghanistan, Syria, Somalia, Bangladesh and Pakistan.

• Tunisia
• Italy

The Italian government announced Tuesday that repatriation flights for Tunisian migrants will resume regularly on August 10 on the basis of an agreement in force with the government of their country of origin. Two flights carrying a maximum of 40 people each will be conducted every week.

• Hungary

After the EU's top court ruled that Hungary had been illegally detaining asylum seekers, the government announced it was scrapping transit zones. Hundreds of asylum seekers will now be moved to reception centers.

• Syria
• Germany

AfD politicians will travel to Syria in an attempt to show that it can be classified as a "safe country of origin," according to a report. They also plan a media campaign to facilitate "remigration" of Syrian refugees.

• Tunisia
• Morocco
• Germany

More and more rejected asylum-seekers are being sent back to Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria, according to a new report. The German government wants to designate the countries as "safe" in order to accelerate the process.

• Tunisia
• Pakistan
• Morocco

Germany's lower house of parliament, the Bundestag, has voted in favor of declaring four additional countries "safe countries of origin." However, the Bundesrat, the upper house, still has to ratify the decision. The addition of Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco and Georgia to list of safe nations is not without controversy.

• Tunisia
• Germany

The Tunisian President, Beji Caid Essebsi, has said his country will not host EU refugee reception centers. He also told DW that Tunisia was a safe country, despite a terrorist attack in the capital earlier this week.

• Germany

Germany is considering whether to declare four more countries “safe countries of origin.” A law being debated in the German Parliament would add Georgia as well as Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco to the list of safe countries, which currently includes all EU member states, six Balkan countries, Ghana and Senegal.

• Germany
• Algeria

Chancellor Merkel is headed for Algeria to find ways to boost trade with the Mediterranean nation. But the complicated issue of migration will loom over her talks as Berlin looks for ways to stem irregular migration.

• Tunisia
• Morocco
• Germany

Germany's Cabinet wants to add three Maghreb states and Georgia to a list of "safe countries of origin." But will the change pass Germany's upper house of parliament, the Bundesrat, where it failed last year?

• Syria
• Germany

The politicians from the opposition AfD shared their impressions of the war-torn country after returning from a controversial trip. They reiterated their stand that Syrian refugees in Germany should be sent back.

• Germany

Applying for asylum can be a long, complicated process. Here's what you need to do.