The European Court of Justice (ECJ) sided with an Italian court that questioned the government’s designation of Bangladesh as a “safe country of origin” — a label that allows deportations and detentions of asylum seekers while their application is under review.
The judgment emphasised that these designations must allow for judicial review and be backed by clear, accessible evidence. A country cannot be labelled “safe” according to the ruling if it isn’t safe for specific vulnerable groups.
