Unchecked mass migration, especially in Western countries that have absorbed millions of people from developing nations, can weaken national sovereignty, according to one expert. The concern echoed a central theme of President Donald Trump’s address to fellow world leaders at last week’s United Nations General Assembly.
As migrants continue arriving in Western countries, governments are facing mounting pressure on public resources and growing friction between recent arrivals—including some who entered illegally—and native-born populations. Many residents believe officials have neglected their economic interests and cultural identity.
That resistance conflicts with the idea of “global citizenship” promoted by organizations such as the World Economic Forum and through various U.N. initiatives. At the same time, nationalist movements led by figures including Trump have gained strength.
Lora Ries, director of the Border Security and Immigration Center at The Heritage Foundation, told News Media that non-governmental organizations and other grantmaking networks are major drivers of efforts supporting illegal migration.
Migrants in Ceuta, Spain, on Aug. 20, 2026. The migrants were relocated following a historic mass influx of more than 70,000 migrants who crossed the Tarajal on July 30 and 31. Experts have warned that mass migration can erode the sovereignty of the countries that have taken them in if the influx is left unchecked. (Europa Press via Getty Images)
“It’s no coincidence that we’ve seen the same tactics in a handful of countries at the same time,” Ries said, pointing to the U.K., France, Germany, other parts of Western Europe and the United States, particularly during President Joe Biden’s four years in office. She argued that the trend limits the ability of citizens to determine who enters their country, how many people are admitted, the reasons for their arrival, how long they may stay and whether they follow national laws.
The United Nations, World Economic Forum and International Organization for Migration all support managed, regular and lawful migration, describing human mobility as a natural part of economic and demographic change.
Critics of mass migration contend, however, that European nations are being pushed beyond their capacity as migration reshapes their demographics and cultural identity. Ries pointed to what she described as inadequate assimilation, the growth of ethnic enclaves, changing language patterns and reluctance among law enforcement agencies and elected officials to confront the issue because of political correctness.
Migrants run and cheer as they cross on foot into the North African enclave of Ceuta from Morocco after swimming from the Moroccan side and overwhelming police at the city’s breakwater, according to Spain’s Guardia Civil, in Ceuta, Spain, July 30, 2026. (FARO TV via Reuters)
“Western countries like the U.K. and France are really teetering on the question of whether they are still the same countries,” Ries said. She argued that the United States is moving in the same direction, though it is further behind, and questioned whether Americans want to follow the path taken by Britain or change course.
In his speech to the United Nations General Assembly last week, Trump again took a hardline stance on border enforcement and national sovereignty while sharply criticizing the U.N.
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Illegal migrants try to board smugglers’ boats in an attempt to cross the English Channel off the beach of Gravelines, northern France, on Sept. 27, 2025. (Sameer Al-Doumy/AFP via Getty Images)
Trump said it was “deeply ironic” that UNESCO, the U.N. organization responsible for protecting cultural heritage, operates alongside what he described as the globalist promotion of mass migration. He argued that illegal immigration is not a human right, while nations do have the right to preserve their sovereignty.
The International Organization for Migration, a U.N. agency, says humane and orderly migration can benefit both migrants and host societies. Ries also criticized the U.N. 2030 Agenda, a global action plan adopted by member states in 2015 to address poverty and climate change.
The agenda is built around 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
Ries said supporters view mass migration as a tool for advancing some or all of the goals, but argued that the policy is not sustainable for nation-states experiencing what she characterized as overwhelming inflows.
President Donald Trump delivers remarks to the United Nations General Assembly at the U.N. headquarters in New York City on Sept. 23, 2025. (Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images)
The asylum system is another major point of contention in the debate over mass migration. Critics say the process is vulnerable to abuse, allowing people without valid claims to remain in a country and weakening the meaning of asylum and refugee protections.
Ries called for a return to what she described as the original legal standards for persecution: harm carried out by a government actor because of a person’s race, religion, nationality or political opinion. She said the definition of persecution has become too broad and diluted.
“Good for President Trump for calling this out on the world stage,” Ries said, urging other leaders to take similar positions. She added that doing so would require political courage, policy determination and a willingness to reject funding from major donors and global organizations she accused of supporting the current migration system.
On Monday, a migrant caravan that began last week in Honduras crossed into Mexico as hundreds head north toward the U.S.-Mexico border.
“Migrants considering making the dangerous journey to our country should also be aware that the days of ‘catch and release’ are over, and Biden’s disastrous open border policy has been SEALED SHUT,” the Department of Homeland Security said in response.