6 ECTS credits
160 u studietijd

Aanbieding 1 met studiegidsnummer 6021211FNW voor werkstudenten in het 2e semester met een gespecialiseerd master niveau.

Semester
2e semester
Inschrijving onder examencontract
Niet mogelijk
Beoordelingsvoet
Beoordeling (0 tot 20)
2e zittijd mogelijk
Ja
Onderwijstaal
Engels
Faculteit
Faculteit Sociale Wetensch & SolvayBusinessSchool
Verantwoordelijke vakgroep
Institute for European Studies
Onderwijsteam
Florian Trauner
Ilke Adam (titularis)
Onderdelen en contacturen
26 contacturen Hoorcollege
Inhoud

This course examines EU policy in the field of migration and asylum. It examines this policy field from empirical, theoretical and critical perspectives.

The EU policy field of migration is highly salient and sovereignty sensitive. Admission of non-citizens to the state territory used to lie at the heart of national sovereignty. Over the past 25 years, EU integration has changed this relation significantly. Internal borders were dismantled and free movement for EU citizens was established. Member states started cooperating on admission conditions for third country nationals, migrants as well as asylum seekers. EU member states also created the general Area of Freedom, Security and Justice with the Schengen area as an integral part of this new concept, as well as establishing the Dublin system at the heart of the Common European Asylum System. However, the ‘refugee reception crisis’ of 2015 and 2016 has shown that the implementation of the Schengen and Dublin agreements, the Common European Asylum System, and the common immigration policies is far from consolidated. Policy debates on EU cooperation on migration and asylum policies have become increasingly salient. On the one hand, the success of radical right-wing parties pushes for more restrictive policies, on the other hand, EU human rights engagements need to be respected. With a new ‘Pact on Migration and Asylum’ presented in September 2020, the EU is currently seeking to re-balance competencies and functions. The very future of the EU integration project seems to depend on the question whether legitimate and effective EU cooperation on migration can be established.   

Explanations for the why and how of EU policies and cooperation in this policy area, and its effects, cover essential questions of European studies. Students will learn how and why the EU started to cooperate on migration and asylum, what the main EU policy instruments are in this policy field and why the policies are as they are. They will also critically reflect upon the impacts of current EU migration and asylum policies, and on possible alternatives.  The policy field will be approached from different angles, looking at institutional dynamics of decision making, the legal and policy implications and the impact of EU policies on national policies and politics.

Bijkomende info

Study material

  • A syllabus with the description of each lecture and the related reading list
  • For each session, there will be two to three compulsory readings that will serve as a basis for discussion plus some further readings.
  • All readings are available through CANVAS when these are not freely accessible on the internet or through the VUB library.
  • Lecture slides will be made available on CANVAS after each lecture.
  • Lecture notes taken by students during class.

Organisation of lectures
Except for the introductory & concluding lecture and public events, the (3h) lectures will be organized as follows:  

  • The course convener and/or guest lecturers will introduce the lecture (a PowerPoint will be provided after the lecture).
  • Student presentations of the required and/or suggested readings.
  • Seminar: Q&A and discussion of the readings. 
Leerresultaten

General Competences

Learning outcomes

Knowledge and Understanding  
On successful completion of this module students will be able to:

  1. understand the difficulties that the EU and its member states face in balancing the requirements of openness and restrictive policy pressures;
  2. understand the context and history of EU cooperation regarding migration and asylum;
  3. acquire in-depth knowledge on the main policy actors in the field of EU migration, their interests and ideas;
  4. acquire in-depth knowledge on the main EU policy instruments on migration and asylum;
  5. understand how and why EU member states cooperate (or not) on migration issues.
  6. understand how and why EU migration policies influence national policies;
  7. critically reflect upon the origins and impacts of current EU migration policies, as well as on possible alternatives.

Transferable/Key Skills and other attributes  
Upon completion of this module, students will have had the opportunity to:  

  1. learn to manage time pressure, and make concise explanation of their arguments through the essay research and writing process and/or the presentation exercise;  
  2. develop their critical capabilities to assess policy documents, and to structure their arguments in a coherent, structured and persuasive way;
  3. develop their critical capabilities to summarise and critique academic writings;
  4. perform their cultivated inter-personal skills and oral and written communication skills through seminar participation and increase their confidence in making oral arguments. The seminar format will further encourage discussion and debate of different viewpoints.

Beoordelingsinformatie

De beoordeling bestaat uit volgende opdrachtcategorieën:
Examen Schriftelijk bepaalt 60% van het eindcijfer

Examen Andere bepaalt 40% van het eindcijfer

Binnen de categorie Examen Schriftelijk dient men volgende opdrachten af te werken:

  • Written Exam met een wegingsfactor 60 en aldus 60% van het totale eindcijfer.

Binnen de categorie Examen Andere dient men volgende opdrachten af te werken:

  • Presentation OR Paper met een wegingsfactor 20 en aldus 20% van het totale eindcijfer.
  • Small Assignment met een wegingsfactor 20 en aldus 20% van het totale eindcijfer.

Aanvullende info mbt evaluatie

The final grade is composed based on the following categories:

  1. Written Exam: determines 60 % of the final mark
  2. 10 min. presentation OR 1500-word paper: comprises 20 % of the final mark
  3. Small assignment: determines 20% of the final mark
Toegestane onvoldoende
Kijk in het aanvullend OER van je faculteit na of een toegestane onvoldoende mogelijk is voor dit opleidingsonderdeel.

Academische context

Deze aanbieding maakt deel uit van de volgende studieplannen:
Master of European Integration: Track 1: European Economy - Migration and Europe (enkel aangeboden in het Engels)
Master of European Integration: Track 4: Migration and Europe - European Environmental Governance (enkel aangeboden in het Engels)
Master of European Integration: Track 5: European External Relations and Security Policy - Migration and Europe (enkel aangeboden in het Engels)