About the Author

Simon Hankinson has worked (inter alia) as a busboy, waiter, lifeguard, construction worker, windsurfing instructor, taxi driver, and tour guide. From 1999-2022, he was a Foreign Service Officer serving in India, Fiji, Ghana, Slovakia, Togo, Washington D.C., Marseille, and Nairobi. Prior to entering the State Department, Hankinson worked as a lawyer in London, and then taught history, English, and drama at a private school in Miami. Simon holds a master's degree in modern history from St. Andrew's Scotland, a degree from the college of Law in London, and a master's degree in international security affairs from the National Defence University in Washington D.C. Simon is now a Senior Research Fellow in the Border Security and Immigration Centre at The Heritage Foundation. He writes for national and international news outlets, appears regularly on sundry media platforms, and is on X at @watchfulwaiter1.