In Germany, a country is considered to be a "safe country of origin" when its people, in principle, are not subject to state-sponsored prosecution, and the state is in general able to protect its citizens from non-state persecution. The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) initially assumes that the individuals who come from these countries do not need protection in Germany. The asylum seekers from these countries must, therefore, prove the opposite to BAMF during their asylum process.
Currently, the following countries are considered to be "safe countries of origin" in Germany:
- Albania
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Ghana
- Kosovo
- Macedonia
- Montenegro
- Senegal
- Serbia
- all member states of the EU
The inclusion of the following countries to the list has been regularly the subject of debate in Germany:
- Algeria
- Georgia
- Morocco
- Tunisia
But currently, they are not considered as safe countries of origin.