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Beyond the Crisis: The European Agenda on Migration

Vak
2015-2016

Admission requirements

Registration for the Minor European Union Studies or admission to the pre-master European Union Studies.

Description

While political and media responses to the current refugee crisis indicate a lack of consensus over whether migration should be considered as a ‘European’ or a ‘German’ problem (or concern), this course looks at the extent to which an EU agenda on migration has already developed since the Amsterdam Treaty (and possibly before) and is destined to evolve in the coming years. The course aims to provide students with a short introduction to the historical roots of migration policy in Europe and settler-nations around the world (with the US and Australia often being mentioned as examples for future policy), followed by a discussion of more recent steps in the EU policy making with regard to the freedom of (internal) movement, border control, irregular migration, asylum seekers, and legal migration (visa policy, directives on seasonal and intra-corporate transfers, and the Blue Card Directive). For their final assessment (the policy paper) students are encouraged to consider future policy options that include either rigid internal and external borders, no internal but external borders, or an MWB-scenario (migration without borders). The course raises questions about the political, economic, social, and humanitarian costs involved in migration, as well as the possibilities for the EU to manage this at a supranational or intergovernmental level, or through regional (development) cooperation.

Course objectives

  • to provide students with a basic understanding of the history of migration policy in Europe and the political, economic, social, and humanitarian aspects involved in making EU policy on migration;

  • to provide students with an understanding of the current migration challenges facing the European Union.

Timetable

See website Minor EUS.

Mode of instruction

Seminars.

Course load

Total course load is 5 ec x 28 hours = 140 hours:

  • lectures and presentations (12 × 2 hours = 24 hours);

  • studying literature and writing policy paper (116 hours).

Assessment method

The final mark will be a combination of the following notes obtained during the classes, weighted in the following way:

  • course participation (including weekly essay and presentation) (25%);

  • written assignments (policy paper) (75%).

Retake
There will be a retake for the policy paper.

Blackboard

Blackboard will be used.

Reading list

  • Jan Kunz and Mari Leinonen, ‘Europe without borders: rhetoric, reality or Utopia?’, in: Antoine Pécoud and Paul de Guchteneire (eds.), Migration without borders. Essays on the free movement of people (UNESCO publishing 2007) (available online);

  • Virginie Guirauidon, ‘European Integration and Migration Policy: Vertical Policy-making as Venue Shopping’, Journal of Common Market Studies vol. 38, no. 2 (2000), pp. 251-271;

  • additional readings will be provided during the course.

Registration

Via uSis.

Registration Studeren à la carte and Contractonderwijs

Not applicable.

Remarks

None.

Contact

Mw. A.X. (Aniek) Smit MA a.x.smit@hum.leidenuniv.nl