Global and Regional Migration Governance

Bachelor 2024/2025

Type: Elective course (International Relations)

Area of studies: International Relations

Delivered by: School of International Affairs

Where: Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs

When: 4 year, 1, 2 module

Mode of studies: offline

Open to: students of one campus

Instructors: Oleg Korneev

Language: English

ECTS credits: 3

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Abstract

International migration is one of the most important issues in world politics and is studied across all disciplines in social sciences. This course provides an analysis of theory and practice of regional and global migration governance. It examines how states, regional organisations (such as the European Union, ECOWAS or the Eurasian Economic Union), institutions at global level (such as the United Nations, the International Organisation for Migration or the World Bank) and other non-state actors respond to the challenges of international migration. The course encourages students to assess leading conceptual and theoretical interpretations of the relationship between international migration, the state system and ideas such as sovereignty, rights and protection. These issues, as well as their reflection in border, migration and citizenship regimes, are at the intersection of politics at state/sub-state and regional/global level. The course considers responses to international migration in its various forms in terms of often competing approaches to understanding or “framing” of international migration (as a security concern, as a human rights issue or as a matter of economic development). It also explores the current state of and prospects for global migration governance. The course relies on rich interdisciplinary theoretical and empirical literature on migration governance focusing, among other, on issues of policy change, convergence and divergence. It begins with a general introduction to our understandings of international migration and reviews major theoretical debates on migration politics and policy-making. It then examines practices of migration governance in various regions of the world. It also explores paradigms, frames, structures, actors and practices of global migration governance and their localisation in specific regional/national settings. The course concludes by linking issues of global migration governance with global governance in other issue areas.

Learning Objectives

To provide students with ability to understand the complex phenomena of international migration and to critically assess migration governance using appropriate theoretical and methodological interdisciplinary approaches.

Expected Learning Outcomes

Shows awareness of the relationship between theory and practice in relation to migration governance
Understands the nature of international migration
Understands varying policy responses to international migration at local, state, regional and international level
Identifies the differences between forms and types of migration
Identifies and assesses critically the competing claims that are made regarding the impact of international migration
Identifies the strengths and weaknesses of different theoretical approaches to the study of migration politics
Assesses critically theoretical and policy approaches to forced migration
Analyses migration governance beyond the nation state and makes connections between local, national, regional and global levels
Knows specific features of global migration governance and analyses relevant actors and structures in connection with wider dynamics of global governance
Demonstrates independent and critical understanding of the most important aspects of political responses to international migration.

Course Contents

Introduction: What is International Migration? Politics and Policy of International Migration
Forced Migration: Multiple Policy Dilemmas
Methodological Nationalism and Migration Governance beyond the Nation-State
Regional Migration Governance
Global Migration Governance

Assessment Elements

In-class participation
Final paper
Presentation
Position paper

Interim Assessment

2024/2025 2nd module
0.25 * Final paper + 0.25 * In-class participation + 0.25 * Position paper + 0.25 * Presentation

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

Alexander Betts. (2011). Global Migration Governance. OUP Oxford.
Alexander Betts. (2013). Survival Migration : Failed Governance and the Crisis of Displacement. Cornell University Press.
Caroline B. Brettell, & James F. Hollifield. (2014). Migration Theory : Talking Across Disciplines: Vol. 3rd ed. Routledge.
Castles, S. (2004). Why migration policies fail. Ethnic & Racial Studies, 27(2), 205–227. https://doi.org/10.1080/0141987042000177306
Geddes, A. (2019). The Dynamics of Regional Migration Governance. Edward Elgar Publishing.
Geiger, M., & Pécoud, A. (2014). International Organisations and the Politics of Migration. Journal of Ethnic & Migration Studies, 40(6), 865–887. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369183X.2013.855071
Gibney, M. J. (2004). The Ethics and Politics of Asylum : Liberal Democracy and the Response to Refugees. Cambridge University Press.
Lavenex, S. (2019). Regional migration governance – building block of global initiatives? Journal of Ethnic & Migration Studies, 45(8), 1275–1293. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369183X.2018.1441606
Orrenius, P. M., Martin, P. L., & Hollifield, J. F. (2014). Controlling Immigration : A Global Perspective, Third Edition: Vol. Third edition. Stanford University Press.
Triandafyllidou, A. (2018). Handbook of Migration and Globalisation. Edward Elgar Publishing.

Recommended Additional Bibliography

A. Pécoud. (2014). Depoliticising Migration : Global Governance and International Migration Narratives. Palgrave Pivot.
Geddes, A., & Boswell, C. (2011). Migration and Mobility in the European Union. Palgrave Macmillan.
Korneev, O. V. (DE-588)1145161677, (DE-576)495642983, aut. (2017). International organizations as global migration governors : the World Bank in Central Asia / Oleg Korneev.
Lavenex, S. (2016). Multilevelling EU external governance: the role of international organizations in the diffusion of EU migration policies. Journal of Ethnic & Migration Studies, 42(4), 554–570. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369183X.2015.1102047
McLeman, R. A., Schade, J., & Faist, T. (2015). Environmental Migration and Social Inequality. Cham: Springer. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1124225
Rother, S. (2019). The Global Forum on Migration and Development as a venue of state socialisation: a stepping stone for multi-level migration governance? Journal of Ethnic & Migration Studies, 45(8), 1258–1274. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369183X.2018.1441605
Tiziana Caponio, Peter Scholten, & Ricard Zapata-Barrero. (2019). The Routledge Handbook of the Governance of Migration and Diversity in Cities. Routledge.
Trauner, F., & Wolff, S. (2014). The Negotiation and Contestation of EU Migration Policy Instruments: A Research Framework. European Journal of Migration & Law, 16(1), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1163/15718166-00002046
Virginie Guiraudon. (2000). European Integration and Migration Policy: Vertical Policy‐making as Venue Shopping. Journal of Common Market Studies, 2, 251. https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-5965.00219

Authors

Korneev Oleg Vladimirovich

Course Syllabus