Germany wants tougher EU asylum rules for west Balkans nationals

Berlin: Germany is calling on the European Union to tighten asylum rules for western Balkans nationals by designating the states of the region "safe countries of origin", a government spokesman said Friday.

"The states of the western Balkans are making their way toward Europe, some of them have ambitions of applying for membership (of the European Union)," spokesman Steffen Seibert told reporters.

"They are actually by definition states in which there can be no political oppression or civil war -- that is, situations that would give grounds for protection."