CREDITS 2 (LV) 3 (ECTS) - 30 Contact Hours
Migration of people is as old as
human civilisation itself, however, despite its long history, being a social
phenomenon with vast both economic, legal, and political consequences, migration
represents one of the most controversial issues debated in Europe and around
the world. Judgments of the merits of migration, hence, its moral appraisals
substantially diverge across and within countries, resulting in a multitude of
policy approaches. The course will begin with the examination of historical and
modern trends of migration. The legal part will deal with the conceptual
categories of migrants, including refugees and asylum seekers, according to
international and EU law. The political part of the course will look at the
political causes and consequences of people’s migration. The economic
perspective of both sending and receiving countries will be analysed in detail,
as well as the developments and problems in the EU stemming from the
intra-European migration and immigration from third countries. At last, but not
least important, the acculturation strategies of immigrants and the approaches
to diaspora engagement will also be addressed in this study course. In overall,
this course aims to destigmatize the topic and demonstrate how a dialogue
between supporters of open- and close-door approaches to migration can be
fostered.
- Teacher: Aldis Austers