Border and migration control

Historical perspectives on nation-state formation and border control.

Historical perspectives on control strategies notably « remote control ».

« Europeanization » of old strategies and policy instruments.

The bordering of the European Union and the making of the Schengen Area.

Actors, organizations, and everyday practice.

Political economy of border control and border games.

Unintended consequences of migration and border control.

This course’s main objective is the acquisition of academic knowledge on such a debated subject like migration and border control. Students will acquire academic knowledge on policies, practices, and consequences of border and migration control in the US and in Europe, the relation between the construction of the European Union and the development of specific policy instruments. This course is also aimed at acquiring skills to analyze border and migration control most notably in Europe.

The teaching methods mix a series of elements: lectures, individual/group work, oral presentations, simulations and role playing games. The number and types of learning activities will be decided according to the number of students enrolled. 

Contribution to the teaching profile

In this course, we develop a political sociology approach to analyze border and migration control. Border and migration control are located in broader debates about modern states’ formation. The course gives particular emphasis to the role that border and migration control has been playing in the construction of the European Union. It encourages an analytical perspective that looks at policies in practice, gaps between discourses and practice, goals and outcomes, unintended consequences.

References, bibliography, and recommended reading

The course material includes PowerPoints of the lectures, mandatory readings and readings to be selected (see UV). A bibliography will be available on the UV too. 

Course notes

• Université virtuelle

Contacts

federica.infantino@ulb.be

Campus

Solbosch

Method(s) of evaluation

• Personal work
• written examination
• Group work
• Other

Personal work

written examination

Group work

Other

The assessment will be based on different elements: a final essay, personal work and/or oral presentations.

Mark calculation method (including weighting of intermediary marks)

50% final essay -
50% personal work

Language(s) of evaluation

• english