Syllabus

• Week 1

  Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)

  • Introduction

    You will be introduced to IDPs as a matter of international concern. You will also find details relating to general feedback on your essay plans, and details concerning a live webinar relating to your essay writing.

  • The “discovery” of IDPs by the international community

    You will examine why IDPs became a matter of international concern in the 1990s, given their existence long before, and ask what consequences this has had for the UNHCR. You will also find out where most IDPs are situated.

  • IDP protection needs

    You will examine the question of whether IDPs should be deemed to be a separate category of concern and consider their protection needs.

  • The international response to IDP protection needs

    You will examine the UN Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement and consider their utility.

  • Wrap up

    In the final activity for the week, you will find a repeat poll, a list of additional resources and a summary of the week.

• Week 2

  Environmental displacement

  • Introduction

    Here we will focus on the alleged impacts of climate change on cross border migration patterns. You will consider whether the claims stand up to scrutiny.

  • Calls for protection for “climate refugees”

    In this activity, you will examine calls for treaties to protect so-called climate refugees and consider alternative responses.

  • Securitising the narratives

    In this activity, we will consider how apocalyptic claims about “climate refugees” led to a securitised response – we will focus on the USA.

  • Wrap up

    In the final activity for this week you will find a repeat poll, a list of additional resources and a summary of the week.

• Week 3

  Enforcement: Immigration detention

  • Introduction

    You will be introduced to immigration detention, an instrument that states use either as a prelude to removal, or as a means to contain asylum seekers pending the determination of their claims.

  • Immigration detention as “crimmigration" and data from the UK and the USA

    In this activity, you will examine the experience and cost of immigration detention and consider the “work” done by its use.

  • International legal framework relating to detention of asylum seekers

    In this activity, you will consider the protection provided by the Refugee Convention as well as human rights law, and consider their adequacy. This activity also includes the Peer Graded Assignment for this course.

  • Scholarly debates on the use of immigration detention

    You will engage with some of the scholarly literature on the use of immigration detention to ascertain its utility and effectiveness.

  • Wrap up

    In the final activity for this week, you will find a repeat poll, a list of additional resources and a summary of the week.

• Week 4

  Human rights of undocumented migrants

  • Introduction

    We have seen that undocumented migrants suffer many privations. Here we shall begin to ask questions concerning the alleged universality of human rights.

  • Shortcomings of the ICCPR and the Migrant Workers’ Convention

    In this activity, we analyse one general human rights treaty and one that specifically addresses migrant workers and their families. We will see that claims of universality paper over significant cracks.

  • Scholarly Analysis of Universality Claims and the Person of the Undocumented Migrant

    In this activity, you will be given a taste of critical scholarship and consider Arendt’s claims about rightlessness.

  • Wrap up

    In the final activity for this week, you will find a list of additional resources, a test and a summary of the week.

Who will you learn with?