By: Zi Yuan Wong on January 2025
On this pale blue dot called Earth, humans lived in our respective countries, separated by borders that have existed for hundreds of years. Looking at world maps today, we can clearly see where the borders lie along the dotted lines drawn along the canvas, separating one country from another.
To cross these dotted lines into another country, we need paperwork – like passports and visas – just to be allowed to enter. And even with the proper documentation, there is still no guarantee of entry since many travelers may come from an area deemed to be high-risk to a country’s national security. Even today, these borders remain to remind us of which parts of the country are accessible to us, and which parts are not.
However, these well-drawn borders come as a result of a history of bloody conflict. Since ancient times, wars have been waged between countries for conquest, control of resources, and territory. These borders define the territories last captured by the countries at war when the conflict ceded. Seeing its aftermath, are the border gains worth the human cost to attain them, and are they the main cause of the division of the world today?
Imagine a world where no borders exist at all between countries, and a world map with no dotted lines to define country borders. Without those borders, people can come and go as they please, restricted only by their unwillingness to do so.
On the surface, this seems like a utopian dream where people can travel, work, and live anywhere they please. People can schedule to meet their friends in another country without jumping through multiple legal hoops just to obtain permission to enter, and that is without accounting the costs to get there. Travelers everywhere can broaden their horizons through going to different areas as they wish, unburdened by visas and government red tape.
However, there is a negative side to the coin if country borders suddenly become non-existent. People are justifiably worried that there will be an exodus of migrants from poorer countries looking for a chance of a better life. With migrants flocking to more developed countries and leaving their home countries empty and undeveloped, this may potentially lead to an immigration headache of global proportions.
Seeing the world as it is today, it is not unreasonable to imagine a world where borders are nonexistent, giving countries no reason to fight as people can travel and interact with others as they like. However, there are certainly some drawbacks to this ideal, from immigration headaches to the loss of identity of a particular area. Yet, I could not help but feel, while there are justifiable fears that the uniqueness of places might disappear if borders are suddenly removed, I have hope that a new culture born out of understanding might emerge when people interact with each other. If we can travel anywhere without restrictions and meet new people, potentially settling down somewhere new, won’t new conflicts stop appearing through mutual understanding?