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Migration Governance (STG-MA-ECR-MGG)

STG-MA-ECR-MGG

Description

This course examines how states, international organisations, and civil society actors govern the cross-border movement of people. Drawing on analytical frameworks from international relations, comparative politics, political economy, sociology, and international law, students critically assess the institutions, ideas, and power relations that stimulate, limit, or sort movements across international borders.

Through case studies including EU border governance, refugee resettlement in Canada, labour migration systems in the Gulf, and responses to climate-related displacement in Bangladesh and the Pacific Islands, the course presents the difficult trade-offs that characterise various debates around migration governance. Adopting a global perspective, students investigate how historical legacies, geopolitical interests, economic priorities, and domestic politics influence migration policies.

Classes combine structured debates, policy analysis, and engagement with real-world migration datasets, including refugee statistics, visa trends, and labour mobility indicators, enabling students to develop evidence-based arguments and policy-relevant insights. Active participation is central to the course, requiring students to critically evaluate competing perspectives, contribute empirical examples, and engage constructively with diverse viewpoints. A key outcome of the course is the production of high-quality written and oral work suitable for professional and policy engagement in the field of migration governance.