| Unit name | Migration, Asylum and Human Rights in the European Union |
|---|---|
| Unit code | SPOLM1070 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | . Ann Singleton |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | School for Policy Studies |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
The Unit will cover the main elements of the development of asylum and migration policies in the European Union. It will focus on the consequences of policy implementation at national and EU level on the human rights and civil liberties of asylum seekers and migrants and of the citizens of the EU. The Unit will include an overview of the historical importance of migration in the development of European society. The emergence of immigration and asylum as key policy concerns for the EU will be a key element, including an in-depth examination of the role of the European Institutions, the Council of Ministers, the European Commission and the European Parliament. Analysis of policy development will be set in the context of the enlargement of the European Union, recent patterns of migration and asylum-seeking and the securitisation of European policy debates.
This Unit is designed to provide:
An up-to-date overview of the historical development of asylum and migration policy and legislation in the European Union and of the implications of EU enlargement for the future development of asylum and migration policies. This will include a thorough background in the role of EU institutions, the Member States and of international organisations in the process of EU asylum and migration policy development.
A comparative analysis of EU policies in the context of the global and regional activities of the UNHCR and current debates around proposed changes to the 1951 Geneva Refugee Convention.
An understanding of the processes of asylum and migration policy development in the United Kingdom and Ireland, in the context of the EU.
A comparative examination of the impact of asylum and migration policies on human rights and citizenship legislation at EU and national level.
The student will understand:
The emergence of migration and asylum as key policy areas at European and national level, specifically how policy in the field of Justice and Home Affairs, on migration and asylum has developed in the European Union before and since the entering into force of the Amsterdam Treaty.
How to access sources of data on asylum and international migration and how to interpret statistical data on flows and stocks of migrants and asylum-seekers.
How UK policies on asylum and immigration have been influenced by and have influenced the development of European Union policies and legislation.
The consequences for human rights and civil liberties of communities and individuals, including unaccompanied minors and trafficked migrants, of the securitisation of asylum and migration policy formation.
Which international fora, including the Global Commission on International Migration are emerging as key players in the debates around policy on asylum and migration and how their activities are likely to impact on national and EU level policy developments.
10 x 2 hour sessions combining lectures and seminars.
This unit will be assessed through a 3500 word essay that will test the students’ knowledge of the development and implementation of the main international and national policies and instruments pertaining to migration, asylum and human rights. Students will be expected to demonstrate an understanding of key processes including globalisation, demographic change, labour market demand, poverty and inequality and gender, inequality on contemporary trends in migration.
Oxford: Oxford University Press
Paris, OECD.
Websites covering legislation, policy and analysis of asylum, migration and human rights in Europe, providing links to key legislative and policy texts and to key academic reading:
