That's because commoners had no rights. So foreigners would mix up with the commoners, who cares?
Now that every single person has rights, accepting them in your country also gives you a responsibility towards them.
Now that every single person has rights, accepting them in your country also gives you a responsibility towards them.
My point was that identity controls predated travel controls and were a prerequisite for a "papers please" kind of society. Each state chooses (either directly or by will of its voters) what responsibilities it owes to non-citizens in its territory. Those responsibilities can range from almost nonexistent to very generous, but it is ultimately the choice of the state, and not the visitors to that state.