Open Borders - (Geographies of Justice and Social Transformation) by Reece Jones

About the Book

"Today we live in a world of walls and closed borders, but what should the world look like tomorrow? Open Borders counters the knee-jerk reaction to restrict migration by arguing that there is not a moral, legal, philosophical, or economic case for limiting the movement of human beings at borders. The book brings together influential theorists for open borders with activists working to make safe passage a reality on the ground to put forward a clear, concise, and convincing case for a world of open borders"--

Book Synopsis

Border control continues to be a highly contested and politically charged subject around the world. This collection of essays challenges reactionary nationalism by making the positive case for the benefits of free movement for countries on both ends of the exchange. Open Borders counters the knee-jerk reaction to build walls and close borders by arguing that there is not a moral, legal, philosophical, or economic case for limiting the movement of human beings at borders. The volume brings together essays by theorists in anthropology, geography, international relations, and other fields who argue for open borders with writings by activists who are working to make safe passage a reality on the ground. It puts forward a clear, concise, and convincing case for a world without movement restrictions at borders.

The essays in the first part of the volume make a theoretical case for free movement by analyzing philosophical, legal, and moral arguments for opening borders. In doing so, they articulate a sustained critique of the dominant idea that states should favor the rights of their own citizens over the rights of all human beings. The second part sketches out the current situation in the European Union, in states that have erected border walls, in states that have adopted a policy of inclusion such as Germany and Uganda, and elsewhere in the world to demonstrate the consequences of the current regime of movement restrictions at borders. The third part creates a dialogue between theorists and activists, examining the work of Calais Migrant Solidarity, No Borders Morocco, activists in sanctuary cities, and others who contest border restrictions on the ground.

Review Quotes

As the 'West' is closing its borders, Reece Jones and his team of contributors offer an indispensable critique, pointing to an open-borders world that humanity should aspire to. This book shows a path forward in these backward times.--Harald Bauder "author of Migration Borders Freedom"

Comprising contributions from key scholars, activists and activist-scholars, this fantastic volume bridges theory and practice. It provides intellectual heft and inspirational case studies to demonstrate the justice and possibility of a world of open borders.--Bridget Anderson "author of Us and Them? The Dangerous Politics of Immigration Controls"

Together the very diverse authors of this book move deep inside the histories of a broad range of migrations. Each chapter captures the particularities of a flow, laying bare the complexities and differences that underlie what we so easily think of as 'migration.'--Saskia Sassen "author of Expulsions"

About the Author

REECE JONES is a professor of geography at the University of Hawai'i. He is the author of Violent Borders: Refugees and the Right to Move and Border Walls: Security and the War on Terror in the United States, India, and Israel.