On 16 September, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivered the annual State of the Union (SOTEU) speech to the European Parliament in Strasbourg.
She made the following asylum- and migration-related points:
- Pact on Migration and Asylum: “After years of work, we finally have a common European framework. One that gives responsibilities to all – and that demands solidarity from all. And it now needs to be fully implemented.”
- Arrivals: “We are on the right path. We have seen a 55 % reduction in illegal arrivals over the past two years. And a further 35 % drop this year. That is real progress.”
- New ‘European Emergency Response Framework’: “Europe needs the means to protect its borders at all times. Especially in scenarios when mass movements are engineered and weaponised. (…) It will only be triggered under a strictly defined set of criteria. And in those cases, it will allow for time-limited and strictly defined flexibility in standard procedures.”
- European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex): “This is why we will also step up our work to strengthen Frontex – especially to speed up returns.”
- EU External Partners: “We will improve our early warning systems – including in partnership with third countries.”
- EU External Partners: “We need to work together with our neighbours to boost investment. To offer young people meaningful prospects – so they are not compelled to gamble with their lives. They need jobs, skills, training, apprenticeships. This is why I am announcing today a new Mediterranean Youth Skills and Jobs initiative.”
In a letter of intent sent to European Parliament President Roberta Metsola and Irish Prime Micheál Martin on 16 September, von der Leyen wrote: “We will make the Pact work on the ground. We will deepen cooperation with partner countries, fight smuggling more effectively and improve returns. We will modernise the Schengen visa framework and keep Europe open to talent.”
See below a selection of media articles about the speech and NGO reactions to SOTEU 2026:
EU and International Media
- AP: EU chief sets out her vision for Europe’s future in a key speech watched by Canada’s Mark Carney (17 September)
- EUobserver: Von der Leyen set to cave in to Greek asylum-busting demands (16 September)
- Euractiv: As it Happened: Von der Leyen’s SOTEU 2026 (15-16 September)
- Euronews: State of the Union: Five takeaways from Ursula von der Leyen’s speech (16 September)
- Reuters: EU to propose emergency protection against massive migrant flows, von der Leyen says (16 September)
- Parliament Magazine: 10 takeaways from Von der Leyen’s 2026 State of the Union speech (16 September)
- POLITICO: State of the Union 2026: A new security forum, a shift to climate adaption — and an offer to Ottawa (15-16 September)
ECRE
- A new European Emergency Response Framework: Yet another piece of legislation that will chip away at the right to asylum in Europe (16 September)
- State of the Union 2026 (15 September)
ECRE member organisations
- Caritas Europa: Protection must remain at the heart of migration policy (16 September)
- Red Cross EU Office: The success of the State of the Union will ultimately be measured in people’s daily lives and in the support they can rely on (16 September)
Others
- Equinox: State of the Union address 2026: An (arms) race to the bottom (17 September)
- Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants: Ceuta, smugglers, Frontex, new limits to asylum. Here’s what we think of Von der Leyen’s State of the Union speech on migration (16 September)
- Save the Children: SOTEU 2026 – Children are children first: Save the Children warns against EU’s weakening of asylum safeguards (16 September)
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