In 2015, more than one million asylum seekers entered Europe from the Middle East and Africa. While certain governments welcomed them, Hungary was the first EU member state to recognize that illegal mass migration posed an existential threat to Europe’s sovereignty, stability, security and social cohesion. In response, the Hungarian government closed its borders to halt this unsustainable influx. Alongside constructing a physical barrier, Hungary also established a robust legal framework to address this crisis, devoting vast resources to curbing the flow and dismantling the organized criminal networks facilitating it.

Since their adoption, these measures have been the focus of continuous attacks from the EU Commission, pro-migration governments, and NGOs. Despite this stalwart opposition, Hungary has been gradually gaining ground in the battle for European political opinion. The unending terrorist attacks in Western Europe, emergence of no-go zones and parallel societies, weakening of Europe’s welfare states, and importation of conflicts from migrants’ countries of origin have awakened European citizens. In countries that once fervently supported mass migration, such as Germany and the Netherlands, migration-critical parties have achieved historic electoral success.

Nevertheless, NGOs and EU institutions remain firmly committed to a pro-migration narrative. Although the momentum has shifted toward Hungary’s position, further change in the discourse on irregular mass migration is essential.

This summit, taking place in Szeged, the frontline of Hungary’s fight against illegal migration, will establish a roadmap for member-states to press EU institutions to combat illegal migration, stop the flow and efficiently close borders, and how Europe can adopt best practices implemented both by Hungary and by the current U.S. administration.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

September 24, 2025

 

9:00 AM: Opening Remarks

Tamás Dezső, Director General of the Migration Research Institute

9:30 AM: The Migration Crisis and Hungary

            Moderator:

Szabolcs Janik, Researcher at MCC’s School of Social Sciences and History

            Panelists:

Zsolt Barthel-Rúzsa, State Secretary at the Ministry of Defence of Hungary

László Kiss-Rigó, Bishop of the Szeged-Csanádi Diocese

Bálint Pásztor, President of the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians

10:45 AM: Coffee Break

11:15 AM: The Migration Crisis and Europe I: Lessons from the Past Decade

            Moderator:

Viktor Marsai, Executive Director of the Migration Research Institute

            Panelists:

Juan Soto Gomez, Founder & CEO of Fortius

Florian Hartleb, Associate Professor at Modul University

Manuel Ostermann, First Deputy Federal Chairman of the DPolG Federal Police Union

Daniele Scalea, President of the Machiavelli Centre

12:45 PM: Lunch Break

1:45 PM: The Migration Crisis and Europe II: Changing the Discourse

Moderator:

Rodrigo Ballester, Head of MCC’s Center for European Studies

 

 

Panelists:

Raphael Audouard, Director of the Patriots for Europe Foundation

János Bóka, Minister for European Union Affairs of Hungary

Rocío de Meer Méndez, Member of Spain’s Congress of Deputies for Vox

Pedro Dos Santos Frazão, Vice-President of Chega

3:00 PM: Immigration Through American Eyes

            Moderator:

            Gladden Pappin, President of the Hungarian Institute of International Affairs

            Panelists:

Simon Hankison, Senior Research Fellow in the Border Security and Immigration Center at The Heritage Foundation

John Rouse, Senior Advisor at the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration

Eric Ruark, Director of Policy at the Federation for American Immigration Reform

Nayla Rush, Senior Researcher at the Center for Immigration Studies

4:15 PM: Coffee Break

4:45 PM: The Burdens of Immigration– from Demography to Terrorism

            Moderator:

Ralph Schoellhammer, Head of MCC’s Center for Applied History and IR Theory

Panelists:

Guy Dampier, Senior Researcher at the Prosperity Institute

Hans-Georg Maaßen, Former President of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution

Nicolas Pouvreau-Monti, Director General of L'Observatoire de l’Immigration et de la Démographie

6:00 PM: Closing Remarks

 

 

 

September 25, 2025

 

9:30 AM Crises Around Europe I: Expectations from Countries of Origin – The Case of the Horn of Africa and Middle East

            Moderator:

Omar Sayfo, Head of Research of the Migration Research institute

Panelists:

Mohamed Farid, Member of the Egyptian Senate

Abshir Aden Ferro, Businessman, Somalian Presidential Candidate

Tibor Nagy, Former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs

10:45 AM Crises Around Europe II: Expectations from Countries of Origin – The Case of the Sahel

Moderator:

Róbert Gönczi, Analyst at the Migration Research Institute

Panelists:

Beatriz de León Cobo, Director of the Spanish Institute for the Analysis of Migration

Viktor Marsai, Executive Director of the Migration Research Institute

12.00 PM: Lunch Break

1:00 PM: Guided Border Visit

3:30 PM: Return to Budapes