What would happen if there were no borders?

National borders are a relatively new construct in most of the world. African and Middle Eastern nations were mostly the result of colonial powers drawing lines on maps for example. The formation of the USSR folded many nations into one – and the demise of the USSR reinstated many nations. Italy has only been a nation in its current form since 1861. Modern Germany became a nation with reunification in 1990.

So what would happen if these modern constructs disappeared?

Are we assuming that all the existing governments would continue? In which case it is likely that (as with the mass migration to the USA) people would migrate to where they could envisage a better quality of life. If you’re hungry – to a place where there is plenty. If you’re among a persecuted minority – to a place where you would be left alone. If you’re wealth is taxed too highly – to somewhere where it’s not. The same migration patterns happen within nation states too today. They cannot happen so easily on a global scale because of national immigration laws.

But if national borders are removed, would the governance continue unchanged? If a million people from “France” walked into “Germany” how would the “German” “government” react? How would housing, taxation, education, health care, law, energy, transport etc. etc. be managed?

It would seem that without borders, nonetheless there would be “borders” based on some other tribal, shared characteristics – for example language, religion, culture, resources – and inter-tribal conflict would ensue.

So to be viable, if national borders were taken away, it would seem necessary to create a global form of government where every person becomes a “Citizen of The World” with all the freedoms and responsibilities of a nation.

But getting “there” from “here” – how long?!