The Politics of Migration and RefugeesModule Details

Rationale 

Migration has been one of the major phenomena defining recent decades, as well as one of the most debated topics in many developed and developing countries. The course will explore theoretical, historical, ethical and policy dimensions of migration and forced displacement. The different categories of migrants, the causes and consequences, as well as the governance of the phenomenon will be explained, alongside international legal frameworks. The course will focus on how displacement interacts with issues of citizenship, human rights, and ethics while engaging with a variety of regional and thematic case studies.

Learning Outcomes

At the end of the course students will be expected to:

(i)    Explain differences between different categories of legal status (refugee, migrant, asylum seeker).
(ii)   Appraise the significance of social, cultural and historical context to understanding migration and forced displacement.
(iii)  Discuss a range of national and international policy approaches to migration.
(iv)  Explain contemporary migration from a variety of theoretical viewpoints.
(v)   Assess the ethical dilemmas involved in addressing migration.
(vi)  Evaluate the institutions, actors, and policy responses involved in governing migration in a critical way.
(vii) Determine the role of political parties, public opinion and media in migration governance. 
(viii) Explain how migration can affect the meaning and role of core concepts/ideas in global politics.