Which countries should have open borders?
Jun 19, 2023 | 7:21 am
#1
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Join Date: Apr 2012
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Which countries should have open borders?
Definition: Open Borders refers to the freedom of movement of people, products, and service between two or more countries, and the rights of citizens of one country to live and work freely in another country. Countries that are part of an open-border group typically have strong "external borders" (separating the group from the rest of the world) and weak to non-existent internal border controls within the group.
Abbreviations: EU = European Union, EFTA= European Free Trade Association (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland).
Motivation: A number of travelers recently questioned the need for electronic travel authorization between countries that are allied, friends, of similar economic development, and with similar legal systems. A good example would be UK citizens visiting the US or Canada and (soon) US or Canadian citizens visiting the UK. What could be done to facilitate travel in such cases? My view is that, as long as a country implements border controls, electronic travel authorizations provide an effective way to improve safety and reduce processing time at the border. The alternative would be for countries that share similar values to enter into open-border agreements.
Observations:
To launch the debate, I would suggest that Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the UK should enter into an EFTA-type agreement with removal of trade and immigration barriers between the four member countries. These countries have similar culture, economic development, legal systems, and share the same head of state.
Abbreviations: EU = European Union, EFTA= European Free Trade Association (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland).
Motivation: A number of travelers recently questioned the need for electronic travel authorization between countries that are allied, friends, of similar economic development, and with similar legal systems. A good example would be UK citizens visiting the US or Canada and (soon) US or Canadian citizens visiting the UK. What could be done to facilitate travel in such cases? My view is that, as long as a country implements border controls, electronic travel authorizations provide an effective way to improve safety and reduce processing time at the border. The alternative would be for countries that share similar values to enter into open-border agreements.
Observations:
- It appears, at least in my opinion, that the open-border arrangements among many European countries are working reasonably well. I am talking, of course, of the freedom of movement of persons and goods within the EU, the abolition of border controls under the Schengen Agreement, as well as separate agreements between the EU and the EFTA that allow EU citizens to travel and work freely in EFTA countries, and vice-versa.
- Similar agreements exist between the UK and the Republic of Ireland under what is called the "Common Travel Area," and between Australia and New Zealand. In both cases, the open border arrangements appear to work reasonably well.
To launch the debate, I would suggest that Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the UK should enter into an EFTA-type agreement with removal of trade and immigration barriers between the four member countries. These countries have similar culture, economic development, legal systems, and share the same head of state.
Jun 19, 2023 | 7:36 am
#2
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The EU/Schengen has open borders told to me for years and years and still while I have been repeatedly coming across border controls on ground and flight trips within the Schengen area during the last several years too. 
Many of my acquaintances in EU national government offices that used to fancy the open borders are no longer all that thrilled about open borders in the Schengen area. I think the pandemic has shown us that there really are national cultural limits to commitment to open borders.
These countries which continue to want national blacklists of their own to enforce on even close partner states citizens are not truly committed to what I would consider to be open borders.
Many of my acquaintances in EU national government offices that used to fancy the open borders are no longer all that thrilled about open borders in the Schengen area. I think the pandemic has shown us that there really are national cultural limits to commitment to open borders.
These countries which continue to want national blacklists of their own to enforce on even close partner states citizens are not truly committed to what I would consider to be open borders.
Last edited by GUWonder; Jun 19, 2023 at 7:41 am
Aug 4, 2023 | 2:26 am
#3
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 288
Definition: Open Borders refers to the freedom of movement of people, products, and service between two or more countries, and the rights of citizens of one country to live and work freely in another country. Countries that are part of an open-border group typically have strong "external borders" (separating the group from the rest of the world) and weak to non-existent internal border controls within the group.
Abbreviations: EU = European Union, EFTA= European Free Trade Association (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland).
Motivation: A number of travelers recently questioned the need for electronic travel authorization between countries that are allied, friends, of similar economic development, and with similar legal systems. A good example would be UK citizens visiting the US or Canada and (soon) US or Canadian citizens visiting the UK. What could be done to facilitate travel in such cases? My view is that, as long as a country implements border controls, electronic travel authorizations provide an effective way to improve safety and reduce processing time at the border. The alternative would be for countries that share similar values to enter into open-border agreements.
Observations:
To launch the debate, I would suggest that Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the UK should enter into an EFTA-type agreement with removal of trade and immigration barriers between the four member countries. These countries have similar culture, economic development, legal systems, and share the same head of state.
Abbreviations: EU = European Union, EFTA= European Free Trade Association (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland).
Motivation: A number of travelers recently questioned the need for electronic travel authorization between countries that are allied, friends, of similar economic development, and with similar legal systems. A good example would be UK citizens visiting the US or Canada and (soon) US or Canadian citizens visiting the UK. What could be done to facilitate travel in such cases? My view is that, as long as a country implements border controls, electronic travel authorizations provide an effective way to improve safety and reduce processing time at the border. The alternative would be for countries that share similar values to enter into open-border agreements.
Observations:
- It appears, at least in my opinion, that the open-border arrangements among many European countries are working reasonably well. I am talking, of course, of the freedom of movement of persons and goods within the EU, the abolition of border controls under the Schengen Agreement, as well as separate agreements between the EU and the EFTA that allow EU citizens to travel and work freely in EFTA countries, and vice-versa.
- Similar agreements exist between the UK and the Republic of Ireland under what is called the "Common Travel Area," and between Australia and New Zealand. In both cases, the open border arrangements appear to work reasonably well.
To launch the debate, I would suggest that Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the UK should enter into an EFTA-type agreement with removal of trade and immigration barriers between the four member countries. These countries have similar culture, economic development, legal systems, and share the same head of state.