Greg Bovino Takes Center Stage at European Remigration Summit in Portugal

Greg Bovino Steals the Show at European Remigration Summit

Among the crowd gathered at a controversial political conference held just south of Porto, Portugal, several attendees wore a distinctive red and blue circular badge — the emblem of Patriot Front, a American white-supremacist organization that emerged following the deadly 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. The group is well known for staging large masked marches and targeting progressive gatherings. When approached by journalists, one attendee confirmed their membership without hesitation.

Patriot Front was only one piece of a much larger contingent of American far-right figures who made the transatlantic journey to participate in the Remigration Summit — a gathering that drew European political figures and hundreds of additional attendees to debate what proponents call "remigration," a racially charged policy framework centered on the forced removal of ethnic minorities and immigrants from Western nations.

Who Attended the Summit

Among the notable American figures present were prominent white nationalist Jared Taylor, Stefano Forte — president of the New York Young Republican Club — and Greg Bovino, the former Border Patrol official who gained notoriety for his aggressive immigration enforcement operations targeting communities in Minneapolis and Chicago.

Bovino stated plainly that his purpose in attending was to build stronger relationships with European right-wing networks. He also claimed that a version of remigration was already taking shape inside the United States, though he argued progress remained too slow.

"Over the past year, remigration did actually occur in the US, but they've got a long way to go," Bovino told reporters at the event. He went further, criticizing those currently overseeing the Trump administration's deportation agenda, including Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin. "President Trump needs a little bit better advice, and Mullin's a great guy, a great plumber, no doubt about that," Bovino remarked. "He could probably fix a leaky faucet, but a hundred million illegal aliens is not a leaky faucet." Mullin previously operated a plumbing business before entering politics.

What Is Remigration?

Remigration as a political concept has grown significantly in Europe over the past five years, largely driven by Martin Sellner, the event's organizer and a former neo-Nazi group member who founded Austria's far-right Identitarian Movement. At the summit, Sellner was described by attendees as "the godfather of remigration."

According to Sellner's published framework, remigration would involve not only the deportation of undocumented immigrants but also the expulsion of legal residents and citizens deemed to have failed to sufficiently integrate into national culture. The idea has been embraced by major far-right political parties across Europe, including Germany's Alternative for Germany (AfD) and Spain's Vox party. Several elected officials who publicly support the concept took to the stage during the summit.

In recent years, the ideology has crossed the Atlantic. The Trump administration has appeared to adopt aspects of the concept, establishing an Office of Remigration within the State Department and amplifying the term across official social media channels.

Media Restrictions and Conference Atmosphere

Shortly before the conference commenced, journalists — including reporters from WIRED — were informed they would be barred from entering the venue. Media were instead directed to a tent in the parking lot, furnished with a small table, a few chairs, and a single iPad streaming the proceedings from inside. Organizers claimed the restriction was intended to protect attendees who feared professional repercussions if their participation became public. Observers noted that the majority of those entering the event appeared to be young white men dressed in nearly identical outfits: fitted chinos, white shirts, and exposed ankles.

Forte's Speech and Remarks

Stefano Forte was among the first speakers to address the audience. Beyond leading the New York Young Republican Club, Forte also serves as executive director of the 1776 Project PAC, an organization that has backed parental rights candidates in school board elections across Pennsylvania and Texas.

In his remarks, Forte described New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani as an "anti-American, radical Islamic migrant mayor." Speaking to the press, Forte claimed he was not representing the Trump administration while simultaneously discussing Trump's endorsement of European far-right leaders.

"When we come overseas and have conversations about foreign policy, the president is going to make his picks," Forte said. "It's obvious that there is a way we would like Europe to be reshaped in the modern era, because Europe is not strong right now, and there needs to be new leaders."

Jared Taylor's Explicit Vision

While Forte declined to specify which immigrant groups he believed should be subject to remigration, veteran white nationalist Jared Taylor had no such reservations. Taylor, a longtime central figure in American white-supremacist circles, articulated his vision directly.

"We used to be a country that was 90 percent European. Now whites are headed for minority status," Taylor told reporters. "Here in Europe, political parties that are called far right are quite explicit — they want their nations to look as they once did, and that is impossible if they allow too many Muslims, Africans, or Central Americans in. Nothing is more natural, healthy, and moral than to wish to remain a master in your own house."

Trump's Embrace of the Term

Although President Trump has used the word remigration sparingly, he has used it. In the summer of 2025, Trump referenced the term at least three times on his Truth Social platform, connecting it to mass deportation initiatives. In a July 4 post, Trump wrote: "It's called 'REMIGRATION' and, it will, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN."

The presidential endorsement of the term carried significant weight among summit attendees. Jean-Yves Le Gallou, a former European Parliament member who served under French far-right leader Jean-Marie Le Pen, captured the sentiment succinctly: "When the word is acknowledged by the president of a major power, one can no longer say that it is marginal."

Patriot Front and Transnational Extremism

The Patriot Front members in attendance declined to explain their presence at the summit. Despite being a US-based organization, the group maintains strong international ties through the Active Club network, which promotes white-nationalist ideology through the guise of fitness training. According to a 2025 report by the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism, this transnational movement spans at least 187 chapters across 27 countries, with a significant footprint throughout Europe.

"With the Trump administration's support, American and European extremists believe the time is right for international institutional collaboration to put this ethnic cleansing plan into action," said Wendy Via, cofounder and president of the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism. "Having Gregory Bovino — whose agents killed two American citizens — speak at this summit demonstrates that European extremists are looking to the United States as proof that remigration, no matter how violent, is possible."

Bovino's Hero's Welcome

Bovino offered his own definition of remigration when pressed: "Assimilation. Are you willing to assimilate to the United States culture? If you're not, then don't come," he said, clutching an orange notebook decorated with a sticker bearing his image and former social media handle.

After his press remarks, Bovino entered the main conference hall to a thunderous reception. Crowds chanted "USA, USA, USA" as he took the stage and declared remigration "the most important topic of our lifetimes." He urged European attendees to study the Trump administration's approach, focus on long-term strategic planning, manage media narratives, and find ways to deal with politicians who resist their agenda.

"We care about Europe, especially on this topic. This is one that binds us together," Bovino told the audience. "Use us. Many of you have my phone number. I am a phone call away."

His offer was promptly taken up by Kay Gottschalk, a German lawmaker and co-founder of the AfD, who told journalists he had already spoken with Bovino and extended a formal invitation for him to address the German parliament.

The Trench Coat Promise

Bovino notably arrived without his now-infamous trench coat — a garment California Governor Gavin Newsom once described as "Nazi-coded" — though photographs of him wearing it were displayed prominently on the conference stage. Bovino closed his remarks with a theatrical promise to the crowd.

"I'll make you a deal, Europe," Bovino said. "We get this remigration underway full-throttle in Europe, I'll break that trench coat out, and I'll wear it on European soil."

The audience responded with a prolonged eruption of applause.