Von der Leyen to unveil stricter migration proposals in SOTEU, risking normalization of pushbacks

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is expected to announce new migration enforcement measures in her State of the Union speech, potentially including border pushbacks, which would mark a policy shift after years of asylum reform debates. The proposals are speculative and not yet detailed, but they signal a hardening of EU migration policy that could normalize practices previously considered off-limits. This matters as it may reshape EU asylum standards and affect relations with member states and human rights groups.