LW6065 - Refugee Law and Refugee Journeys

This 20 credit module will be delivered via a combination of:
10 x 1-hour large group lecture sessions
5 x 1-hour small group seminar sessions
5 x 2-hour small group workshop sessions.
Total = 25 hours of face-to-face teaching.

Face-to-face teaching will focus on active learning. You will learn through in-class research, group discussions, problem solving exercises, role play, board games and use of multimedia. Face-to-face teaching will be supplemented by a reading list and a formative assessment.

The primary form of academic support on this module will be via teaching sessions. You will obtain ongoing feedback on your understanding and preparation from tutors across the workshop sessions.

In addition to this academic support in teaching sessions, you will receive feedback from the module teaching team on a written formative assessment on Turnitin. Further, members of the module team are available to discuss module-related issues during office hours.

In line with the University’s commitment to offering a Universal Design for Learning approach to teaching which creates inclusive educational experiences, this module offers multiple means of engagement. More specifically, it offers in-class participation through Mentimeter. This is intended to support, in particular, neurodivergent students who may prefer to communicate in writing.

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. The reading list for this module can be found at: http://readinglists.northumbria.ac.uk
(Reading List service online guide for academic staff this containing contact details for the Reading List team – http://library.northumbria.ac.uk/readinglists)

Knowledge & Understanding:
1. Advanced knowledge and understanding of key aspects of refugee law
2. Ability to conduct independent research on aspects related to refugee law

Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:
3. Critical evaluation of sources and evidence related to refugee law. It is important for employability to be able to conduct critical evaluation based on the best available evidence and research.
4. Well-developed problem-solving skills and autonomous decision-making skills. It is important for employability to be able to effectively solve problems and independently make decisions.

Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):
5. You will also develop and reinforce the ethical characteristics of a Northumbria graduate as you reflect critically and independently on your own work. This will help you to develop the attitudes and skills to engage and work constructively and sensitively in multi-cultural environments and teams and to have an awareness of ethical considerations.

Formative assessment:
The formative assessment will be a reflective writing exercise (500 words). You will be asked to reflect on your experience of learning about one module topic of your choice while drawing on different learning resources, including the lectures and workshops, the reading materials, as well as further independent research. The formative assessment will test your problem-solving skills and autonomous decision-making skills; your ability to reflect critically on your own work and development; to conduct independent research and to critically evaluate sources; as well as your knowledge and understanding of key aspects of refugee law.

Your tutors will provide written feedback and additional oral feedback during office hours if desired.

Summative assessment:
The summative assessment will be a 2,500-word piece of coursework. It builds on the reflective, research and decision-making skills developed through the formative assessment. You will have a choice between (A) a case discussion or (B) a piece of reflective writing. For option (A), you will be asked to discuss a case of your choice decided by the Upper Tribunal of the Immigration and Asylum Chamber in light of at least three of the topics covered over the course of the module while drawing the module reading materials, as well as further independent research. For option (B), you will be asked to reflect on your experience of learning about at least three module topics of your choice while drawing on different learning resources, including the lectures and workshops, the reading materials, as well as further independent research.

The summative assessment will test your problem-solving skills and autonomous decision-making skills; your ability to reflect critically on your own work and development; to conduct independent research and to critically evaluate sources; as well as your knowledge and understanding of key aspects of refugee law.

Your tutors will provide written feedback and additional oral feedback during office hours if desired.

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The so-called global refugee “crisis” poses one of the greatest challenges of our time. Refugees and other people on the move face increased political hostility across the world and ever stricter controls on their movement. At the same time, worldwide levels of displacement are at an all-time high. This module explores refugee law and refugee journeys by following a fictional asylum seeker from her home country to the UK. The module covers causes of forced displacement, border regimes, irregular migration, the criminalisation of humanitarian assistance to migrants, the asylum process in the UK, the refugee definition, immigration detention, the asylum appeals process and so-called “durable solutions” for refugees. The module will give you the opportunity to immerse yourself in current research on displacement and to conduct your own research into the issues you are especially interested in.