[humbertomn]

It's a complicated topic but there were real world "experiments": In 2004 in Europe:

"By allowing anyone in the eight relatively poor new members of the EU to come and work freely, Britain, Ireland and Sweden are putting these claims to the test. All seventy-five million people in Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are now free to move to Britain and work. Since wages in Poland are typically only a fifth of those in Britain, Poles have a big incentive to come and work here. If opponents of immigration are right, Britain should now be deluged with East Europeans and unemployment should be soaring.... But it isn’t. In fact, only 427,000 East Europeans have so far applied to work in Britain (many of whom were already in the country illegally) – and most stay only briefly: net migration from eastern Europe was only 48,000 in 2004.5 Unemployment remains at thirty-year lows, tax receipts are up and jobs that British people no longer want to do are being filled."

-- Philippe Legrain

[escherize]

However, those are western civilizations which value rationality and equality. Rationality and equality (and inclusiveness) aren't values in a great many cultures.

[analyst74]

You should really travel more, especially to cultures where you consider are below yours. Hopefully one day you'll come to the realization that humans are not that different from each other.

[escherize]

First, no-one mentioned cultures being superior until you did. Why is being rational, equality-oriented, and inclusive in your eyes superior?

Second, I'm sure there are some wonderful people in cultures where women (for example) are considered second class citizens. If I travel there and return with some feel-good anecdotes, I fail to see how that changes anything.

[sanxiyn]

This is an easy problem to solve. You can start open borders restricted to EU. This is a reason for particular implementation of open borders, not a reason against open borders.

[mahyarm]

There is also a the income : cost of living balance and barriers of language & culture.

Another thing I wonder if they can take advantage of welfare? Can a polish person get UK welfare and NHS services indefinitely if they just move there?

[kspaans]

As a Canadian living in the UK on a temporary work visa I get to vote (LOL THE QUEEN IS ON THE LOONIE), and am served by the NHS for emergency stuff but my visa says "no recourse to public funds" which I'm pretty sure means I don't get things like disability benefit.

Pensions on the other hand, I'm not sure about. I'm getting tax relief for my pension contributions, but maybe there will be a withholding tax if I leave without naturalising.

[falsestprophet]

European Union citizens who are habitually resident in another EU country are entitled to receive welfare benefits. (The current UK government wants to renegotiate this arrangement.)

[reitanqild]

Were I live this is being debated: People can come here, have kids and move back and have significant amounts of money thrown back at them over the border.

[humbertomn]

At the time, after registering in, they could not claim welfare benefits for two years.