Member states gain a new legal pathway to reject or offload asylum claims by transferring applicants outside the EU, expanding the set of destination countries beyond nationality-based returns. Governments can operationalize removals via bilateral deals with host states, creating near-term demand for third-country agreements and associated funding, logistics, and monitoring capacity. Asylum seekers face faster displacement from EU territory once a “safe third country” designation is applied, tightening timelines for legal challenges and case processing inside the EU.