5. Freedom of Contract and Association
A more general philosophically libertarian reason for open borders is the expansion of the freedoms of contract and association. As noted on Libertarianism.org, “Crossing an international border does not harm anyone’s person or property, so it is a protected action. Preventing you from crossing the border to see your friend, or preventing them from coming to visit you, is no more justifiable than the government erecting roadblocks around a church or other private gathering place to prevent people from meeting there.” If an employer wishes to take on the labor of someone on the other side of a border, he or she should not be legally prevented by government from doing so. This concept is consistent with the libertarian approach of mutually-beneficial transactions.
