Safe Countries of Origin

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
• Georgia
• Republic of Moldova
• 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
• Morocco
• Tunisia

But currently, they are not considered as safe countries of origin.

The German Basic Law distinguishes between two categories of “safe countries”: States of origin and third countries. State of origin or country of origin means that a person is a national of this country. The term “third country” is used when a person has entered the country via a safe country. 

When a person enters the country via a safe country, their asylum application may be rejected as “inadmissible”. However, they may be eligible for another form of protection. You can find more details on the website of BAMF (Federal Office for Migration and Refugees).

In principle, the asylum procedure of persons from "safe countries of origin" does not differ from the asylum procedure for others- but if you come from a "safe country of origin", your asylum procedure is usually concluded faster.

The hearing is the most crucial step for asylum seekers who come from "safe countries of origin". At the hearing you must describe the persecution you went through in the country of origin and, if available, provide evidence for your statements. If the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) acknowledges your statement as valid, despite coming from a "safe country of origin", you may be granted a protection status and, thus, a German residence permit.

However, most asylum applications from the citizens' of "safe countries of origin" are rejected as "Obviously unfounded" ("offensichtlich unbegründet"). Your application will be rejected as "Obviously unfounded" when the BAMF does not believe your story or assumes that you came to Germany for economic reasons.

If your asylum application is rejected as "Obviously unfounded", you have to react quickly. You only have one week to apply to the designated court for an urgent appeal ("Eilantrag") and challenge the decision. If you do not file an urgent appeal or in case the court rejects it, you may be deported. You can read more about this subject in our chapter "Rejected Asylum".

• In principle, Individuals from "safe countries of origin" must live in initial reception centres (or special accommodation facilities) until the end of their asylum procedure. That means you cannot find a flat and move out.
• Individuals from "safe countries of origin" are not allowed to work.
• Individuals from "safe countries of origin" may not travel within Germany, or can only do so with the permission of the Immigration Office ("Ausländerbehörde").
• In principle, individuals from "safe countries of origin" cannot participate in the integration courses.
• In some federal states, children who live in initial reception centres are not subject to compulsory schooling. Check landkarte-kinderrechte.de and our chapter "School" to find out whether your federal state is one of them or not.