APG5086 · Governing migration: Refugees, borders and development

Overview

In recent decades, the challenge of governing migration and refugee movements has become a core concern for scholars, policy makers and practitioners working in a range of areas, including international relations, public policy, and international development. How can we explain and respond to the governance challenges posed by various types of migration, such as irregular labour migration and spontaneous flows of refugees, asylum seekers and internally displaced people? Why does migration happen in the first place, and how are different forms of migration linked to policy issues such as conflict, security, diplomacy, social policy, humanitarian protection, economic development, and environmental sustainability? How do approaches to governing migration differ at the municipal, national, regional and global level? This unit provides you with an overview of the multi-level governance arrangements in relation to migration that operate around the world today. You will undertake a thorough critique of theory and practice across these areas. Through a range of learning activities, you will examine competing frameworks for governance and alternative possibilities for analysis and action in the work of development and governance agencies associated with migration and border control.

Areas of study: Public policy

Offerings

The Handbook publishes no offerings for this unit.

Assessment

The Handbook does not list a final examination among the assessment items. That is not a guarantee there is none.

Within semester assessment: 100%

Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.

Requisites

The Handbook lists no prerequisite, corequisite or prohibition for this unit.

Learning outcomes

1. Critically analyse the main theoretical, methodological and empirical approaches to explaining various forms of human migration;
2. Evaluate policy proposals, regulatory frameworks, institutional apparatus and normative arguments in relation to the governance of various aspects of migration;
3. Explain how different theoretical, methodological and disciplinary perspectives on migration lead to alternative policy proposals and arrangements in different places, and at different urban, national, regional, and global levels of migration governance;
4. Identify and connect with global networks of government agencies, inter-governmental institutions, policy think-tanks, research centres, NGOs, advocacy and activist organizations related to migration;
5. Prepare critically informed written and oral work appropriate for studies at postgraduate level and appropriate for professional engagement in the public policy, security and diplomacy, and international development sectors.

Workload

Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 288 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. A unit requires on average three/four hours of scheduled activities per week. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.

Student experience, not official rules. Nothing here changes what the Handbook says.