Generating up to 2 trillion € in additional GDP annually.

The numbers in this article tell an incredible story about money and a about an inspiring opportunity. When we allow our mental and analytical brains a mind shift to believe, think, and act without borders, we can earn big while adding value to our society, peace and planet. (We recommend reading our previous chapter on “Behind Borderless Thoughts“.

Why Spend Billions to Build Walls When You Can Build Bridges?

Take Europe, for example, and grasp the ultimate waste of European spending on its border systems. What could happen if we thought, believed and acted towards a borderless Europe?

The Financial and Economic Potential of a Borderless Europe

Today, Europe spends approximately €29.94 billion annually on securing its borders. This includes funding the operations of border protection agencies like Frontex, constructing physical barriers, financing refugee camps, and even paying billions to non-European countries such as Turkey, Tunisia, and Libya to prevent migrants from reaching European shores. These funds also support complex asylum processing systems, legal structures, and detention facilities—designed not to integrate but to exclude.

But what if we shifted this massive financial investment from exclusion to inclusion? What if Europe redirected every euro currently spent on blocking migration toward integrating migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers? The results wouldn’t just be ethical—they’d be economically transformative. Experts estimate that fully integrating migrants into the European economy could generate up to €2 trillion in additional GDP annually—a game-changing figure representing a 10-14% increase in the EU’s economic output.

The True Cost of Europe’s Border Security Machine

Let’s break down what Europe currently spends to “manage” migration:

• €9.88 billion – Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF), meant for processing refugees but often spent on restrictive immigration control.
• €7.37 billion – Integrated Border Management Fund (IBMF), funding fences, surveillance tech, and biometric ID systems.
• €754.4 million annually – Frontex (European Border and Coast Guard Agency), whose budget has grown by over 400% since 2015.
• €6 billion (plus another €3 billion) – Paid to Turkey under a migration deal to keep Syrian refugees outside Europe.
• €1 billion – Aid pledged to Lebanon to manage its refugee population and prevent crossings into Cyprus.
• €165 million to Tunisia – To strengthen its coast guard and enforce migration control at its Mediterranean borders.

Combined, this amounts to nearly €30 billion per year —a staggering amount spent on keeping people out, policing borders, and maintaining the appearance of control. Now imagine if this same budget were spent on something entirely different: building bridges instead of walls.

Building a Thriving Europe

If the €30 billion Europe currently spends annually on border security were redirected, here’s what could happen:

1. National and Local Law Enforcement:
2. Invest in 500,000 new jobs for police officers, legal professionals, and public administrators to uphold national laws, ensure community safety, and manage legal migration more effectively. This would create safer communities while offering meaningful careers for hundreds of thousands of Europeans.
3. Integration and Education Programs:
4. Fund large-scale language and vocational training programs to help migrants integrate faster into the labour market. Every €1 spent on education and job training yields an estimated €2–€3 in economic returns. That could mean a €60 billion annual economic boost from creating skilled, job-ready workers.
5. Job Creation Through Economic Inclusion:
6. Fully integrating Europe’s 22.5 million migrants into the economy could result in:
   • €225–337.5 billion in annual tax revenue through legal employment.
   • €450–675 billion in consumer spending, as migrant families could afford homes, cars, and everyday goods.
   • €100–150 billion in productivity gains by filling critical labour shortages in healthcare, agriculture, construction, and tech.
7. Entrepreneurship and Innovation:
8. Migrants are twice as likely to start businesses compared to native-born citizens. Redirecting funds to small business loans and entrepreneurial support could create €75–100 billion in new business revenues each year, driving technological advancement and job creation.
9. Sustainability and Environmental Impact:
10. With a unified Europe focused on integration, we could also dedicate funds to eco-friendly infrastructure, building nature-conscious communities for all. Migrant labour could help construct green housing projects and support renewable energy production, boosting Europe’s sustainability targets and creating thousands of additional jobs.

The €2 Trillion Opportunity

With these investments, the combined benefits could reach up to €2 trillion annually, far surpassing the current cost of migration management. Instead of spending billions to police borders, Europe could create an economy driven by Opportunity, sustainability, and shared prosperity.

Imagine:

• Millions of new jobs created not only for migrants but also for local communities.
• Balanced budgets are supported by increased tax revenue.
• Rejuvenated industries in agriculture, technology, and healthcare.
• Boosting entrepreneurship
• Cultural renewal, where diversity sparks creativity, collaboration, and innovation.

A Future Without Barriers

The numbers don’t lie: Borderless thinking is not just a moral stance—it’s an economic revolution waiting to happen. But beyond the data lies something more profound: the emotional and psychological benefits of living in a world without walls.

A content that builds bridges instead of barriers is a Europe where hope replaces fear and potentially replaces exclusion. It’s a continent where freedom becomes a reality — freedom to live, work, and thrive without being defined by where you were born.

By reinvesting billions from walls into opportunities, the continent could become a global model of progress driven by unity, cooperation, and shared humanity.

For example, a study in Germany found that refugees and migrants contributed €20 billion to the economy in a single year. Imagine scaling that across the EU, where 22.5 million non-EU migrants reside. If even a fraction of these individuals were integrated into the labour force, Europe would solve its demographic challenges and secure a dynamic, thriving economy for decades.

Then there’s consumer spending. Each migrant household contributes an average of €20,000–€30,000 annually to local economies, injecting €450–675 billion annually into industries like housing, retail, and services. These are not just numbers on a spreadsheet—they represent thriving markets, bustling towns, and new opportunities for millions of Europeans.

However, perhaps the most profound economic contribution comes from second-generation migrants. Studies show that children of migrants often outperform their peers in education and income, doubling their long-term contributions to society. This multiplier effect could add another €200–300 billion annually to Europe’s economy.

These numbers don’t even account for the non-financial benefits—cultural exchange, innovation driven by diverse perspectives, and the social cohesion that emerges when everyone feels they have a stake in the future.

What makes this vision even more compelling is its practicality. The money spent on border management—estimated at nearly €30 billion annually—could be redirected to integration programs, language training, and job placement services. Instead of building walls, we could create pathways to prosperity.

The Power of Freedom Without Barriers

Beyond the financial and logistical arguments, there is something deeper—something more human—about a borderless world. It is the promise of freedom.

When barriers fall, people can move, dream, connect, and create. Refugees fleeing war find safety and dignity. Migrants pursuing Opportunities find purpose and belonging. Host nations discover the strength of diversity and the joy of shared progress.

A borderless continent is an economic powerhouse and a beacon of hope. It shows that humanity’s most outstanding achievements come not from isolation but from cooperation. Freedom, after all, is not just the absence of restrictions but the presence of Opportunity. It is the ability to live without fear, to work without prejudice, and to thrive without limits.

The real question is not whether we can afford to embrace borderless thoughts but whether we can afford not to.