US Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivered a speech at the recently concluded Munich Security Conference, criticizing the concept of a “borderless world” and warning European leaders that unbridled large-scale immigration is undermining the foundations of Western civilization and eroding national sovereignty.
Rubio, speaking at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday, February 14, lambasted the prevailing “end of history” notion after the Cold War, which posits that free democracy will expand globally and national borders will gradually disappear, labeling it a “dangerous fantasy.”
He pointed out that the euphoria following the victory of World War II led Western countries into this “dangerous fantasy,” where the so-called global order is now replacing national interests, stating, “We are now to live in a world without borders, where everyone has become a global citizen.”
“This is a foolish concept, both disregarding human nature and the lessons imparted by over five thousand years of recorded history. We have already paid a heavy price for this,” Rubio continued.
As the US National Security Advisor, Rubio further highlighted that under this concept, unchecked waves of migration have brought complex security issues to the United States and Europe. He stated, “In pursuit of a so-called ‘borderless world,’ we threw open our gates, ushering in an unprecedented surge of large-scale immigration, resulting in a rapid decline in social cohesion. The future of cultural heritage and national development has also been greatly impacted. These mistakes were not caused by a single country or party, but are the shared consequences of the path we have taken together. Now, we must face reality and readjust our course.”
Rubio emphasized that border security does not rely on exclusivity but on responsibility.
“We must also control our borders; nations should have the right to determine who can enter and how many people can enter,” he said. “This is not an expression of xenophobia. This is not hatred. This is a fundamental exercise of national sovereignty. Failure to do so not only abandons our most basic responsibility to the people but also poses an urgent threat to our societal structure and the survival of our civilization itself.”
He further stressed the issue, stating, “Ultimately, we can no longer prioritize the so-called global order over the crucial interests of our people and our nations. We do not need to forsake the international cooperative framework we have built, nor dismantle the global institutions belonging to the old order we have collectively established. However, they must be reformed. They must be rebuilt.”