Can someone explain the logic behind an open borders policy for a country?

[Anonymous]

I'm sure there's plenty of emotional arguments for wanting open borders

but are there any logical arguments for needing open borders?

[FunkyMonkee]

I used to believe the John Lennon song, the line, "imagine there's no countries". Yeah, that DOES sound like a great idea! WHY do we need borders? Why CAN'T we all just live as one common people no matter where we live. Seems to me, we did it once before a few millennia ago before anybody came up with the concept of borders! If each of us needs no border around our house, why do we need one around any other patch of land? About the only thing bad with it, that I can see, is respect, or the lack of it! If someone wants to walk through my yard, it's okay with me, as long as they respect it I have yet to catch them but, almost EVERY DAY, I go outside and find a fresh cigarette butt in my driveway or front yard!! If I could find out who it is and where they live, I'd take the butts over to their yard and toss them!! Or, collect them in a bag and hang it on their doorknob!!
I don't know, maybe it IS still possible but, after seeing ours come down the previous 4 years and the incredible MESS it's caused, I don't think it's such a good idea, at least not right now!! Mostly, it's because of the utter, total lack of respect most of those people brought with them!!

[Anonymous]

Its very logical. Decrease wages, higher taxes, break down of the traditional family, decrease white Christian majority. You notice open borders is only for Europe and the Anglosphere not Israel, Africa or Muslim countries

[strateguy632]

Good points!

[msc545]

Labor Supply & Growth
Many economies rely on immigrants to:

Fill labor shortages (healthcare, agriculture, construction, tech, elder care)
Support aging populations by expanding the tax base
Increase overall economic output (GDP)
More workers → more production → more consumers → broader tax base → more funding for public services

In countries with:

Low birth rates
Rapidly aging populations

Immigration helps:

Keep the working-age population stable
Support pension and healthcare systems
Maintain long-term economic sustainability
Without immigration, some countries face shrinking workforces and heavier burdens on social systems.

Not that you car - but: Humanitarian & Moral Logic:

Refuge & Asylum
Many policies are based on:

International law (e. g., Refugee Convention)
Ethical views about protecting people fleeing war, persecution, or disaster
Logic:

If a country has the capacity to help, it has a moral responsibility to offer safety.
This is often framed as a human rights issue rather than an economic one.

[Ariesman81]

Did you catch that you clearly and plainly write the logical explanation for immigration and then claim the logic is to appeal to a person's emotional ideology?

It makes us say... whaaaaaat?

[RavVid]

Absolutely there is a need for open borders... if you are in the Global Left. That's cause they hate the nation state because it stops them taking over.

How better to destroy the state than by destroying concept of citizenship and special privileges over non-citizens. by the way, excepting me, if you hear someone say nation state then it means they hate the concept of country and citizenship because they are raving Marxists.

Workers Of The World Unite was always about destroying nation states and setting up a worker's paradise. Where the collective pretended to pay you and you pretended to work.

[MrOracle]

Open borders are only remotely feasible when you border countries who share your morals and values. That's rare.

Every country that's ever had open borders with countries where people don't share the same morals and values has either had to reverse that policy after recognizing multi-generational damage, or they have fallen completely. It simply doesn't work.

That's why almost no countries have open border policies. It's never been successful throughout history.

[FreyaRed]

There is a logical argument but no one will call it. It's plain and simple wage dumping due immigrants. Wage dumping is good for elites to increase their profits bad for the working class in terms of steady sinking real income.
That's why open borders has been forces by politicians under ideology of humanitarian help for those who come from war regions, while in reality it's economical migration.

[CupcakeTheDestroyer]

Open borders encourages relations between nations, displaying a level of trust in the governments surrounding them, encouraging diplomacy alongside ensuring that citizens from each nation along those borders have what they need to make travel easy and safer for all involved.

[exitseven]

Yes , Hispanics and a large percentage of black voters have voted Republican in the last election. Democrats have bet their future on the illegal alien vote. Biden let in 20 million of them and if they put them in the right place they will not have to worry about another election for a generation

[DryGermanGuy]

The number of illegal immigrants during the Biden administration is about ~3 million, minus the huge number that got deported. The statistics showing that are available. And remember, it's a huge difference between mouthing off hysterically during a campaign rally or having to sign off on official government documentation.

[exitseven]

@DryGermanGuy 20 milllion at least.

[DryGermanGuy]

Again, the official statistics show vastly different numbers. You noticed that Trump does not change them retroactively, right? Why do you think that is?

[exitseven]

@DryGermanGuy In 2023 there were 3.2 million. More in 2024.. Those are just the ones we know about.. The truth is tht nobody knows how many came in undetected.
Not even the Shadow knows

[goaded]

Can you give an example of a single country with totally open borders?

The Schengen area of the EU allows people to move between countries freely, like the states of the US. But it's not the same as "open borders".

[purplepoppy]

To make life easier for people and families with cross boarder lives. To make it easier for people to trade and work. They worked well in the EU for a long time and made peoples lives a lot easier.

[MrOracle]

The EU never really had open borders - as in, open to countries outside of the EU. Open borders refers to immigration from the outside, not being able to move around on the inside.

[purplepoppy]

But they are still separate countries within the eu. Europe isn't a country.

[Dargil]

It was never about Feelz. That was a cover for wanting more Democrat voters and some hateful miscreants wanting to see the country suffer by flooding its infrastructure. Some of both post here,. I count at least 15.

[Mike_Hum]

It’s to flood a country with a bunch of workers who will accept slave wages, consume welfare and vote for the party providing the welfare.

[Theunfadeable]

Countries open up their borders when they want to undercut wages for domestic workers and flood the market with cheap labor.

[strateguy632]

Whoa think about minimum wage laws! You can't do less than minimum also "wanting immigrants to get exploited" low wage is cruel.

[DonaldDarko]

There is none, no border, no country. It's that simple.

[CallmeTheKnight]

It sounds good to say or good on paper, but it’s proven to be a terrible idea

[_Troian_]

to f*. ck up the demographics of your country and building more f*. ked liberal mentality.

[Anonymous]

The only "logic" behind it is one political party wanting to expand their voter base, even at the cost of national security.

[beefcakebradybatson]

Open borders, no, but a reasonable, UNBIASED immigration policy should be the goal.

[noohair]

To undermine the power of the citizens.

[jahaims]

Cheap labor and bought votes obviously