26th Parliamentary Intelligence-Security Forum – Countering Transnational Threats and Border Insecurity

Mr. Joseph Humire, with a background in economics and now focusing on national security, shared his observations on global challenges, conflicts, and evolving forms of terrorism. He highlighted the urgency in the world, referencing conflicts like the war in Ukraine, the new challenges faced by Israel, potential conflicts in Taiwan, and emerging issues in the Western Hemisphere, such as Venezuela’s impending invasion of Guyana.

Mr. Humire delved into the concept of sovereignty, especially in the context of border security. He argued that border security, represented by measures like walls or fences, is not about dividing nations but about enforcing and respecting the rule of law between sovereign nations. He connected sovereignty to democracy, prosperity, and human rights, asserting that the current assault on borders globally, especially the U.S. Southern border is a critical development for U.S. national security.

Mr. Humire then shifted the focus to the concept of weaponized migration. He discussed its history, citing instances where nations used migration as a tool of coercion to gain concessions. Mr. Humire introduced the idea of strategic engineered migration, where autocratic powers induce mass migration to achieve political and geopolitical objectives. Using examples like the migration crisis between Poland and Belarus and the mass migration of Venezuelans, Mr. Humire argued that autocratic regimes exploit vulnerable migrants to destabilize other nations. He highlighted the sophistication of these efforts, involving disinformation, transnational organized crime, and coordination with authoritarian allies like Russia, China, and Iran.

Towards the end of his speech, Mr. Humire shared alarming statistics, such as the number of times weaponized migration has been successful and the massive scale of the Venezuelan migration crisis.