Unit information: Migration, asylum and human rights: EU and global policy perspectives. in 2025/26

Unit name	Migration, asylum and human rights: EU and global policy perspectives.
Unit code	SPOLM0042
Credit points	20
Level of study	M/7
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24)
Unit director	. Ann Singleton
Open unit status	Not open
Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units)	None
Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units)	None
Units you may not take alongside this one	None
School/department	School for Policy Studies
Faculty	Faculty of Social Sciences and Law

Unit Information

Why is this unit important?

The Unit covers the main elements of the development of asylum and migration policies in the UK, the EU and the UN in a global context of human mobility. The focus is on the consequences of policy implementation both within and beyond the borders of the EU, addressing the impacts on human rights and civil liberties of asylum seekers, recent migrants, EU citizens and non-EU citizens. The Unit will include an overview of the historical importance of migration in the development nation-states, international and regional political blocks and of the global economy. The emergence of immigration and asylum as key policy concerns for the EU will be examined in an international context. The Unit will include an examination of the consequences of Brexit for free movement and mobility. Analysis of policy development will include the securitisation of migration policy, policy transfer and the role of the EU in the world.

How does this unit fit into the programme of study

This unit is one of several optional units you can choose to take in the second term of study. This unit provides an opportunity for you to understand the significance of population movements in a global context and appreciate the historical, political, economic, geographical and social context in which asylum and migration policy and legislation emerge.

Your learning on this unit

An overview of content

The unit considers the main elements of the development of asylum and migration policies in the UK, the EU and the UN in a global context of human mobility. The unit focuses on the consequences of policy implementation both within and beyond the borders of the EU, addressing the impacts on human rights and civil liberties of asylum seekers, recent migrants, EU citizens and non-EU citizens. The Unit will highlight the historical importance of migration in the development nation-states, international and regional political blocks and of the global economy. The emergence of immigration and asylum as key policy concerns for the EU will be examined in an international context. The Unit will include an examination of the consequences of Brexit for free movement and mobility. Analysis of policy development will include the securitisation of migration policy, policy transfer and the role of the EU in the world.

How will students be different as a result of the unit:

You will feel confident having developed an understanding for how migration is thought to influence public policy processes in several different contexts, and you will be able to identify how migration is measured and the implications of different understandings of migration, asylum and human rights. You will also hone your ability to critically analyse different aspects of migration policy, especially through the examination and problematisation of evidence, this will bolster assuredness more generally around your own ability to critically engage with a variety of claims around the impacts on and of policy.

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of the unit, you will be able to:

1. Critically appraise the emergence of migration and asylum as key policy areas at national, European and global levels, specifically how policy in the field of Justice and Home Affairs, on migration and asylum, developed in the European Union and in the UN.
2. Assess sources of data on asylum and international migration and critically interpret statistical data on flows and stocks of migrants and asylum-seekers.
3. Evaluate how UK policies on asylum and immigration have been influenced by and have influenced the development of European Union policies and legislation, including policy discussions about Brexit.
4. Critically discuss the consequences for human rights and civil liberties of communities and individuals, including unaccompanied minors and trafficked migrants, of the securitisation of asylum and migration policy formation.
5. Demonstrate a complex understanding of which international fora, in addition to the European Union, are key players in the debates around policy on asylum and migration and how their activities are likely to impact on national and EU level policy developments.

How you will learn

Teaching will be delivered through face-to-face weekly lectures and seminars. Your learning is supported via the online learning platform, Blackboard, where lecture materials and tasks are listed weekly. Each week you will be asked to undertake a specific task or reading to discuss in the seminar session. There is also an emphasis on self-directed study and reading.

How you will be assessed

Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):

You will be supported by a formative element consisting of in class group presentations whereby you will be required to critically evaluate a given policy issue. Oral feedback will be provided in class following your presentations.

Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative): 

Essay (3500 words maximum, 100%).

This assessment covers all of the unit learning outcomes.

When assessment does not go to plan

Subject to the university regulations for taught programmes, you may be offered an opportunity for reassessment. If you are eligible to resubmit and where appropriate, you may submit a revised version of your previous assignment, or complete an alternative assessment in the same format as the original assessment. 

Resources

If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.

If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. SPOLM0042).

How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks, independent learning and assessment activity.

See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.

Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.

The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit. The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.