European Parliament votes to tighten asylum rules

BRUSSELS, 11th February, 2026 (WAM) — The European Parliament voted by a clear majority on Tuesday in favour of tightening asylum measures and regulations, including expanding the list of so-called “safe countries”, paving the way for faster deportations of migrants from EU member states.

The motion was adopted with 396 votes in favour, 226 against, while 30 members abstained.

The decision, which still requires formal approval by the European Council, would allow member states to accelerate the processing of asylum applications and deport convicted individuals and rejected applicants either to their countries of origin or to third countries outside Europe deemed “safe”.