«Border» and «wall» are sometimes used as interchangeable terms, although in fact their meanings diverge. The former is intended to regulate transits and all kinds of exchanges, so, unlike the wall, it is not in itself an obstructive device. In the context of current restrictive migration politics, it is crucial to denaturalize the hegemonic rhetoric about the need to fortify the borders, showing its ineffectiveness, costs and violent character. This article outlines the approach of «open borders» in order to overcome the somewhat chimerical vision of a «borderless world» and to lay the foundations for solidarity-based migration policies that respect the basic values of democratic societies