My dad was a jeweller.He traveled the length and breadth of the earth in the 1920's 30's without a passport. He

probably had a few 'Laissez Passer' letters. If everyone just abandoned the whole bureaucratic

system of visas/passports/permits what would happen? The whole population of Africa would descend on Italy?. All Chineseand Laos would emigrate to LOS? Why are people/governments such control freaks? Very few Thais I know have the

slightest interest in leaving LOS except for a 'holiday'. However poor most people are actually not much interested, I

think, in leaving home for a distant land. Of course if famine, war, drought and the rest kick in then Stornoway will bethe place to be, won't it.

This what happens even when "border controls" are in place !

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2594681/Four-years-EU-migrants-coming-city-size-Manchester-Study-predicts-130-000-people-come-year-current-trends-continue.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/index.html

His entry to Thailand must have been prior to 11 July 1927. No letter or anything was required.

Thai friends all got very worked up over this! Russians, understandably, have discovered hot countries far preferable toMoscow. All Mexicans want to be in the US. All Brits want to be in Spain or somewhere else. All Chinese want their

kids to be in British schools or universities. Soon be too hot for anyone in Australia so they will all want to move.

The world will turn upside down. Citizens of the Northern hemisphere will bring their skills to the Southern hemisphere and citizens of the south will rush to Europe to find that everything that made life there worthwhile has emigrated.And the availability of Vindaloo in Bolton won't help much.....

....already happening

This has been proposed a few times, including a series of talks on the BBC.

The general points were

• Most people want to stay in their own country - even their own town.
• Those that will move tend to be the more motivated who want to work and work hard.
• Most retired/non-working people only move to be near their family.
• After an average of 10 years most people return 'home'.

Initially there could be some degree of chaos but over a few years things would settle down and be little different from today, except there would be no controls.

Those of us who live outside of our own country are by far and away in the minority.