History is a circle...
> proposing to solve the crisis in their borders by expanding their "living space"
When you are in a crisis mode you don't have to time to wait for elections, the most likely result of social unrest is civil war. There are ample examples in very recent History.
Not to mention that "set up turrets on the southern border and mow them down" is not the most humane way to handle this, especially since the nations likely to fare OK(ish) are generally the ones that caused this trouble in the first place.
How about China and India, whose southern parts are densely populated, and who are capable of launching rockets to space, have nuclear weapons for a long time, etc?
You don't want them to feel desperate.
1) Keep building coal stations
2) Invade northerly regions that are now better for growing crops
Not just China and India. Russia could just about do this for the lolz when you consider they're already expansionist.
Mind you I'm not _endorsing_ this, I'm just worried about it.
In all seriousness if you really want to picture Russia as expansionist, the only time when this was really true was post-WW2 and Cold-war Era. Now Russia is far from being a fool enough to "invade" countries around much beyond their border. Let's not forget NATO as well. I'm not sure in what world this scenario would ever happen.
Also, it might be a good idea to bring evidence of this forward since immigrating seems to be getting harder as time goes on.
Then change to combat dress and take over.
How is that not an 'open border'? No need to bomb Rotterdam.
Meanwhile we have to say good-bye to New York, Shanghai, the Netherlands, and many other places that are close to the seas.