Germany will classify Georgia, Moldova as ‘safe countries,’ making rejecting asylum-seekers easier

By KIRSTEN GRIESHABER
Associated Press

BERLIN (AP) — Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s cabinet has classified Moldova and Georgia as so-called “safe countries of origin,” meaning asylum-seekers from there can be rejected and deported faster than in the past. Wednesday’s move, once parliament has approved the new regulation, is a further step in efforts to curb migration to Germany as the country struggles to house and integrate more than 1 million refugees who fled the war from Ukraine last year. In addition to Ukrainian war refugees, more than 188,000 people applied for asylum in Germany this year.