Around 500 activists, politicians, and commentators from Europe and North America gathered in Portugal on Saturday, May 30th, for a major conference dedicated to remigration, reflecting the growing prominence of immigration as a political issue across the Western world.
The summit, held in the coastal Portuguese city of Figueira da Foz, attracted attendees from across Europe, the United States, and Canada. Organisers described the event as an opportunity to exchange ideas and strategies at a time when immigration policy has become a central issue in Western politics.
Supporters generally use the term remigration to describe the return of illegal migrants and some foreign nationals to their countries of origin, arguing that large-scale immigration has undermined social cohesion, public security, and national identity.
One of the summit’s most notable guests was former U.S. Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino, whose appearance was welcomed by attendees eager to hear an American perspective on immigration enforcement. Some participants viewed his presence as evidence that concerns about illegal immigration are becoming increasingly prominent within the Trump administration. President Donald Trump himself used the term “remigration” in a social media post during the 2024 election campaign.
“I am very happy to come over and lend some expertise to the Europeans” to tackle “illegal aliens destroying European culture,” Bovino said during an impromptu press conference outside the venue.
The conference was co-organised by Austrian activist Martin Sellner, who argued that Europeans should be more confident discussing questions of identity, culture, and demographic change.
“We have a very neurotic relationship to our own ethnicity, our own ethno-cultural identity and I think we need to overcome that,” Sellner told reporters.
The event also attracted representatives from several political parties and movements across Europe. Among those attending were members of Germany’s Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), including Bundestag member and party co-founder Kay Gottschalk, who described himself as attending “to listen” as “a visitor.” AfD politician Lena Kotré addressed attendees from the stage, while North Rhine-Westphalia parliament member Sven Tritschler was also present.
Spain’s Vox party was represented by MPs Rocío de Meer and Carlos Quero, both of whom appeared on the summit’s list of speakers. British activist Sammy Woodhouse, a supporter of the Restore Britain movement, also took part in the event.
German activist Max Märkl also attended the summit after German authorities previously prevented him from flying to Portugal for the event. Federal police stopped him at Munich Airport on Thursday and issued a temporary travel ban, arguing that his participation in the Remigration Summit could damage “the reputation of the Federal Republic of Germany.” Authorities also reportedly argued that the concept of remigration is incompatible with Germany’s constitutional order.
Märkl, a spokesman for Identitäre Bewegung Deutschland, described the measure as a serious violation of his freedom of speech and freedom of movement. Rather than miss the event, he drove 22 hours from Germany to Porto. During his speech, he showed attendees the travel ban document contained in his passport.
