Obligations to strangers Part of the case for open borders is
that at the very minimum, our obligation to strangers is to
leave them alone. Immigration restrictions, by denying strangers
the freedom to move to another country, violates this basic
obligation. It is conceivable that individuals have no positive
obligations toward the welfare of those from other countries.
Thus, there may be a case that immigrants (or for that matter
even natives) do not have a right to one’s charity. However,
preventing people from immigrating is a form of active harm
rather than simply failing to provide charity. See also the
killing versus letting die distinction. - Starving Marvin, a
hypothetical by Michael Huemer that illustrates that immigration
restrictions are akin to forcibly preventing a hungry person
from going to the market rather than refusing him charity. -
John and Julio, a hypothetical by Bryan Caplan that illustrates
that immigration restrictions are more akin to forcibly
preventing a potential competitor from a