All borders are open!

A border has always been an important aspect of every country as it demarcates the territories of nations and also serves as the first line of defense during war. My country Nigeria shares borders with four other African countries and I have been to the border being shared with the Benin Republic and all I needed to get past it into the other country is simply a valid means of identification (nation ID).

Aside from that, I noticed the border wasn't very secure and anybody can easily sneak in and out of the country from spots with not much security. I even heard that the other borders are worse and anybody can easily go across them. At one point, all those borders were totally closed in order to restrict the importation of goods from the neighboring countries and in my opinion, it was a bad decision because it brought untold hardship to everyone.

Due to the high rate of poverty in Nigeria, a lot of people are jumping at the idea of migrating to other more developed countries but getting into those countries isn't easy because of their strict immigration policies and that's why some people settle for getting into those countries through dangerous means like passing through deserts or risking their lives in the open sea. But what if all countries of the open were to open their borders without any restrictions? These are the advantages

Economic growth

By opening the borders without restrictions, countries will have increased trade and economic growth as they can easily exchange goods and services with each other. Economic cooperation will increase since there won't be any restrictions and it will give room for further development of these countries.

Brain gain

Open borders will lead to an influx of skilled professionals and talents from around the world, leading to something called brain gain. This influx of talent can lead to increased economic growth but the problem with this is that it can also be a disadvantage but it depends on which of the countries is experiencing a high influx of immigrants. It's basically a double-edged sword.

Tourism and cultural exchange

People will get to experience the culture and traditions of other countries when all borders are open and there's free access to those countries. I believe this can lead to understanding and tolerance among nations, thereby leading to reduced incidents of racism and discrimination.

Now, for anything that has an advantage, there will certainly be a disadvantage, so let's look at that as well

Economic disruption

Isn't it funny that the first advantage I mentioned was economic growth and now I'm talking about economic disruption as a disadvantage? Well, the truth is that the advantages and disadvantages totally depend on the countries involved. Two countries can be sharing one border and while one is experiencing some of the advantages I talked about, the other will be experiencing the opposite; the disadvantages.

Opening all borders can lead to economic disruptions and it's mostly because industries will start struggling to compete with cheaper imports, especially if it's a country that is still developing (just like Nigeria!). This was actually one of the reasons (I will even say the major reason) why Nigeria closed its borders a couple of years back and it actually led to an increase in local rice production.

Overpopulation and underpopulation

This one shouldn't come as a surprise because let's face it; what is stopping most people from leaving Nigeria is because of strict immigration policies of developed countries in the Americas and Europe. Now, if all those countries were to open their borders, people will troop into them without thinking much.

So, while those countries are facing overpopulation issues, we will be having underpopulation over here in Nigeria and if you think about it, that might actually be a good thing because overpopulation is one of our problems in this country. But then again, won't neighboring countries like Niger and Benin find a reason to migrate to Nigeria? Well, that depends on if they feel Nigeria is better than their respective countries and that might become true if we have less population.

Brain drain

This is also closely tied to underpopulation because when a lot of people are moving out of s country, it basically means the country is losing some of its skilled professionals and talents. While I was talking about brain gain in the advantages, I mentioned that it's a double-edged sword because while one country is experiencing an increased number of skilled professionals, the other is getting hit by a scarcity of skilled workers.

This is exactly what is happening in Nigeria today and we don't even have open borders all over the world but still, we are experiencing a serious brain drain in the health and tech sectors that has forced the government to come up with strict migration policies. The said policies are majorly targeted at the health sector because it took the worst hit as a lot of our doctors and nurses have migrated to foreign countries. Now, imagine if borders were open without any restrictions, are we going to have any doctors and nurses left?

Security concerns

You can't have migration issues without talking about the security threat that comes with it. Opened borders mean anybody can just walk in and out of the country without restrictions and this includes potential criminals and terrorists who can cross into another country to commit a crime and then run back to theirs. They can also commit a crime in their country and run into another country to hide which will make it very difficult for them to be caught

Strain on public resources

An influx of immigrants will lead to a strain on public resources such as healthcare, education, and housing. Most countries usually build these resources based on the size of their population but when that population drastically increases, it means the government will have to invest and build more infrastructure and services to meet the higher demand.

Cultural challenges

On one hand, opened borders can lead to cultural exchange but on the other hand, it can lead to cultural tensions and challenges because societies will try to adapt to the increased diversity. We are already dealing with tribalism, racism, and xenophobia which will become much worse when all borders are opened and migration is increased among countries.

Conclusion

From what I have discussed above, you will realize that I talked more about the disadvantages than the advantages and that's because I believe opened borders will have more dire consequences than any benefits we can get from it. While the concept of open borders may seem appealing, it is crucial to recognize that borders are necessary for the preservation of national sovereignty, the safeguarding of security, and the promotion of stability.

You may also observe that some of the advantages could easily become a disadvantage if not managed carefully and that's because there need to be a balance between these things. Instead of just opening the borders, I believe that more flexible borders will be better and easier to balance. Striking a balance between openness and the preservation of national interests is key to navigating the complex challenges of our interconnected world.

Thanks for reading

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