International Refugee Law

2018/2019

Content, progress and pedagogy of the module

  • To supplement the student’s knowledge and skills in a way that may form part of the student’s choice of educational and professional profile

Learning objectives

Knowledge

  • Population movements: Refugee protection and migration control
  • Legal and institutional framework on refugee protection.
  • The interface with public international law, including human rights and treaty law.  
  • The role of institutions such as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the EU in refugee protection.
  • The Refugee Convention definition and complementary forms of protection, including human rights protection of refugees.
  • The concept of non-refoulement, and those of inclusion, loss and denial of refugee status.
  • Topical issues such as ‘war-refugees’, gender-related persecution, ‘environmental refugees’ and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).  
  • The role of international refugee law in specific contexts, for example the ‘war on terror’ and the current ‘European refugee crisis’.

Skills

  • Explaining the legal standing of refugee protection in international law and outlining generally its relationship with other bodies of public international law.
  • Analysing and applying concepts, terminology and topical issues integral to the course.
  • Identifying legal problems in regional and international refugee law and applying relevant sources of law in solving these.
  • Describing the impact and status of refugee law in national jurisdiction.
  • Researching, presenting and analyzing international and municipal asylum case law, as well as UNHCR recommendations and guidelines pertaining to refugee protection.
  • Presenting and analyzing the content of substantive provisions as contained in refugee law instruments.
  • Discussing the changing needs and shared expectations of the international community as regards contemporary refugee law.
  • Explaining human rights and refugee law implications of the current ‘European refugee crisis’.
  • Communicating issues relating to migration and international refugee law in a clear and well-structured manner, using the applicable terminology.

Competences

  • Explain issues pertaining to international refugee law and reflect and analyze  critically
  • Assess and analyse rules and regulations as well as the consequences of the rules
  • Qualify identified legal issues within international refugee law
  • Be able to work problem-oriented by independently composing a problem and working in an analytical and structured manner
  • Become responsible for own learning, development and specialization within the frames international refugee law.
  • Become able to provide advice on the content of international refugee law and the consequences of violating the legal framework relating to refugee protection.

Type of instruction

  • Workshops

Extent and expected workload

  • 270 hours

Exam

Prerequisite for enrollment for the exam

  • Project handed in on time

Exams

Name of examInternational Refugee Law
Type of exam
Oral exam based on a project
Group Exam. 20 minutes exam per student

The project is to be written by no more than 4 students and is required to be approximately 10 pages long. Further project requirements will be presented at a separate project introduction
ECTS10
Permitted aids
With certain aids:
Project can be brought to the exam
Assessment7-point grading scale
Type of gradingExternal examination
Criteria of assessmentWe refer to the grading scale order

Additional information

  • The module is open to students from Law and Business Law

Facts about the module

Danish titleInternational Refugee Law
Module codeKA-EJ-13-S37
Module typeCourse
Duration1 semester
SemesterSpring
ECTS10
Language of instructionEnglish
Empty-place SchemeYes
Location of the lectureCampus Aalborg
Responsible for the module

Organisation

Study BoardStudy Board of Law
DepartmentDepartment of Law
FacultyThe Faculty of Social Sciences

Litterature

  • A compilation of selected readings will be made available online or for purchase.
  • Students will be asked to access supplementary material online including primary sources of law and scientific articles/publications.