Strengthening the Implementation of the New Pact on Migration and Asylum through Soft Enforcement

The legal instruments of the New Pact on Migration and Asylum came into application in June 2026 following a two-year preparation period. Key to the implementation of this legislative reform package is the rise of processes aimed at ensuring compliance without necessarily resorting to coercion or constraint, which we conceptualise as ‘soft enforcement’. Drawing on the conceptualisation of, and empirical research on, soft enforcement, this Policy Brief examines the potential and limits of soft enforcement. We focus on two key mechanisms. First, steering, understood as the shaping of implementation through guidance, coordination, operational support, and networks. Second, monitoring, referring to the systematic collection and assessment of information on implementation progress and outcomes. The Brief concludes with a set of recommendations to strengthen soft enforcement's contribution to the rights-compliant implementation of the Pact.