New Delhi, April 26 -- Human rights organisations have slammed a plan announced by the European Commission to send back asylum seekers from seven countries in order to stem the flow of refugees to the 27-member European bloc. The list includes India, Bangladesh, Egypt, Kosovo, Colombia, Morocco and Tunisia.

The plan must now be endorsed by the EU's 27 member states and the European Parliament before it can come into force.

The EU's executive body last Wednesday (16 April) declared seven countries as "safe third countries" meaning that asylum seekers from these countries would be safe to be returned to their home countries and will not face any human rights abuses by local authorities .

For the countries deemed "safe", means that their ...