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The third annual conference of the International Network for Immigration Research (INIR) took place in Washington, D.C., hosted at the Conservative Partnership Institute under the title “Regaining Control: An International Conference on Borders, Asylum, and Immigration Enforcement.” Organized by NumbersUSA, the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS), Israel’s Immigration Policy Center, France’s Immigration and Demography Observatory, and the Migration Research Institute, the event brought together researchers and policymakers from across the Western world to discuss the future of migration and border policy.
In his keynote speech, Mark Morgan, former Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, declared that border security is the foundation of national security and warned that without it, there can be no sovereignty. He criticized political leaders who, in his view, put ideology and false compassion ahead of facts, thereby prolonging the migration crisis. Missouri Senator Eric Schmitt described the slogan take back control as a broader political awakening, arguing that mass migration and elite-driven policies have become the deepest source of political tension in the modern West.
Former U.S. Ambassador Christopher Landau, speaking via video message, urged a clearer distinction between asylum and immigration, emphasizing that economic migration cannot be treated as asylum. He said the system is overwhelmed by abuse, as most applicants are not genuinely eligible for protection.
During a panel discussion on asylum reform, Mark Krikorian, Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies suggested that the United States should withdraw from the 1951 UN Refugee Convention, which he described as a global escape route. Yonatan Jakubowitz, Founder and Executive Director of the Israeli Immigration Policy Center disagreed, advocating for a return to the convention’s original spirit, with faster procedures and returns to safe third countries. Rodrigo Balleste, Head of the Center for European Studies at MCC criticized the European Union’s politicized court rulings that hinder member states from defending their borders, calling for greater national control.
Other panels focused on judicial obstacles and political backlash. Matt O’Brien (FAIR) and Viktor Marsai,Executive Director of the Migration Research Institute both criticized legal systems that, in their view, paralyze immigration enforcement through excessive judicial activism. Jim Robb, Vice President of NumbersUSA pointed to shifting voter attitudes in the United States, noting that even among Hispanic voters, support for stronger border control is rising. Marek Chodakiewicz (Institute of World Politics) added that in Europe, the reaction to uncontrolled migration reflects a cultural defense of order and identity.
Concluding the conference, Landau summarized the shared message: nations cannot be self-determining if they do not decide who enters, who stays, and who goes home.
