The European Union on Wednesday published a list of seven countries that it considers "safe," as member states seek to speed up migrant returns.

The list includes Kosovo, Bangladesh, Colombia, Egypt, India, Morocco and Tunisia.

What does this mean for asylum claims?

The expanded list means EU member states will process applications from the countries deemed safe using an accelerated procedure because they have a low chance of success.

"Many member states are facing a significant backlog of asylum applications, so anything we can do now to support faster asylum decisions is essential," said Magnus Brunner, the EU's commissioner for migration.

Although the EU presented a similar list in 2015, the plan was abandoned due to heated debates over whether or not to include Turkey.

Why is the change being made now?

Brussels is under mounting pressure to crack down on irregular arrivals and ramp up deportations, as hard-right parties ride a wave of anti-migrant sentiment across Europe.

Hawks including Sweden, Italy, Denmark and the Netherlands in October demanded fast-tracked legislation to boost returns — and urged the Commission to act swiftly.

Although the EU presented a similar list in 2015, the plan was abandoned due to heated debates over whether or not to include Turkey.

Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi said the change "constitutes a success for the Italian government, which has always worked both at a bilateral and multilateral level to obtain the revision of the regulation."

Edited by Zac Crellin