"The United States has allies in European law enforcement and intelligence agencies, and in politics, government, and think tanks who agree that weaponized migration negatively affects the security of the NATO space and who are doing what they can to deal with it. Some have warned of these phenomena for years, others have only recognized them more recently, while others do not have topcover as their leaders do not see weaponized migration as a problem. All NATO member states to varying degrees have taken steps against the more common aspects of Russian hybrid war, but responses to weaponized migration have generally been insufficient and show no signs of deterring Russia from continuing the practice. Frontline countries like Poland, Hungary, Finland, and the Baltic states have built major border infrastructure complete with fences, walls, high tech sensors, and large border forces to defend themselves. They have also closed border crossings, tightened visa policies and asylum decisions, and argued for more robust border measures at the EU level. Frontex has received much larger budgets to beef up border control assets on the EU periphery. Since the 2015 February 10, 2026 12 migration crisis, the European Commission has transferred billions of euros to incentivize (some say “bribe”) transit states like Turkey, Morocco, Libya, and Tunesia to keep migrants away. However, some NATO member states remain in denial; Spain recently began to legalize some 500,000 recent migrants. Those states that understand the problem and are taking steps to deal with it are halfway there, but more must be done. Potential actions such as returning to their countries persons convicted of crimes, whose asylum applications have been denied, or who have become radicalized seem a bridge too far for most NATO member states. Some political parties depend on the votes of migrant communities or supporters of mass migration to win elections or to stay in power. Migrants who have managed to make it to Europe enjoy strong legal protections. And so, these large populations serve as domestic stressors and thus weaken allies, to the detriment of U.S. interests. Allies that do not take appropriate steps are not helping to address long-term challenges to the alliance. Some may argue that the United States does not have a dog in this fight, that these are European problems, or that the EU has contributed to or exacerbated them by not responding robustly. But the status quo is not working, and the United States cannot do nothing. These phenomena are not just “irregular migration flows.” They are intentional, strategic, and brazen as they weaponize people as pawns in the Kremlin’s ongoing grand geopolitical project. I recommend the Committee consider several options to address the challenges set forth in its invitation. "
https://www.congress.gov/119/meetin...s/HHRG-119-FA14-Wstate-BoyseM-20260210-U1.pdf
https://www.congress.gov/119/meetin...s/HHRG-119-FA14-Wstate-BoyseM-20260210-U1.pdf
